A Late Night Phone Call
by gottalovethegilmores
Summary: Lit. It all begins in February when Rory and Jess have a late night phone conversation. Set after 6.10.
1. The Phone Call

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

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The Late Night Phone Call 

It was one of those crystal clear winter nights where the expansiveness of the universe seems even grander than usual. Rory Gilmore stood outside her new apartment in New Haven, staring up at the sky. With every breath her nose tickled from the cold, and she absentmindedly rubbed her hand across it to stop the sensation.

She was snapped back to reality by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She immediately checked the caller ID, and sighed with relief and a slight hint of terror as the name JESS flashed on the little screen. After taking a moment to gather herself, Rory pressed "answer" and put the phone to her ear.

A short silence ensued as Rory tried to make her mouth form words. Jess spoke before she succeeded.

"Rory?...Are you there?...Hello?"

"Hi Jess," Rory finally managed to squeak out.

"There you are…Hi."

"Yup. Hi Jess."

"Yes, you already said that," Jess teased gently.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I did. Sorry. I just…uh, well, I wasn't sure you heard me the first time so I thought I'd say it again. I didn't want you to think I wasn't going to say hello, and I didn't really know where else to start, and then it just kind of slipped out again, and then I realized I'd already said it and it was too late to take back so…"

"Rory?"

"Yes?"

"You called me earlier?"

"Yes, yes I did. I have some news for you. And I wanted to talk to you. Oh! And I read your book. I really liked it, though I must say you've let Hemmingway influence your writing a bit too much. Not that I got bored or fell asleep reading your book or anything like that. I don't want you to think that either. Shoot. Uh, can I just go back to just saying that I really liked your book instead of comparing you to an author you know I can't stand?"

Jess couldn't help smirking at Rory's nervousness. He even had to admit to himself that he missed her rambling a tiny bit; the rest of her he missed a lot, the rambling however...

"I'm glad you liked it, Rory. Your opinion means a lot to me."

"Yeah. That's, uh, sort of why I called. Kind of. I just wanted to make sure you knew…I'm proud of you. I really am; for getting your life together, for writing a book, for not beating Logan up...

"Rory..."

"…I'm not done yet, Jess. I want you to know that your opinion means a lot to me, too. Maybe more than I realized before you came back…again. And maybe more than you realized, either. Do you know where I'm calling from? My new apartment in New Haven. I just started spring term at Yale. I'm back. I went back. And I'm talking to my mom again. More than just talking, actually. You know, she and I are finally getting back to the way we were. Only different. Different, but better somehow. I've grown up a lot these past two years, these past couple months. And now, I've been able to open up to her and trust her in a way I haven't really since the whole Dean…umm…well, I'll get to that later, but…"

"Rory! Stop for a second. Why are you telling me all of this?" Jess' mind was busily trying to wrap his mind around the words flying out of Rory's mouth.

"…You were right. About all of it. Me. My grandparents. School. Logan. I had let my life slip into something I didn't think I had any control over. I became someone I barely recognized. And you came back, and for once, you had yourself together, and my life was…well, fallen apart. It really put things in perspective."

Rory shivered slightly in the cold, and pulled her coat tighter around herself.

"Oh, thanks a lot, Ror," Jess said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Haha. But seriously, Jess, this whole thing with me having issues and making poor decisions goes back, further than just Mitchum telling me I didn't have what it takes to be a journalist last spring."

"Wait? _Who_, told you _what_?"

"Logan's dad, but it doesn't really matter. I realized something after talking to my mom the other night. That's why I called you. All of this…it started a year and a half ago, maybe earlier, but I really think this all started when..."

There was another long pause as Jess sat silently, waiting for Rory to continue, and Rory sat silently, trying to make her mouth form the proper words. Finally, Jess' curiosity got the best of him.

"When what Ror?"

"….When you came to my dorm and asked me to run away with you…"

There was another silence on the line, but Rory thought she heard Jess suck in a deep breath.

"Rory, I…that was a long time ago. I can say I'm sorry all I want, but…"

"No, Jess, I don't think you understand!"

"…seriously, Rory, did you have to call me to tell me I'm responsible for everything that's been screwed up in you life for the past couple years. Great. Thanks a lot."

"No, Jess! Stop! Please let me finish."

The sinking pit in Jess' stomach settled a bit, and then began sinking again when he heard her sniffling on the other end of the line.

"Jess. Maybe you shouldn't have asked me to run away with you, but, you didn't really do anything wrong there. Illogical maybe, impossible maybe…"

"You going somewhere with this, Rory?"

"...Yes. You told me you loved me and you wanted to be with me, and that I could trust you. I was angry with you, and upset that I'd just been through an entire year with absolutely no one interested in me, and then suddenly, in the same night, I had both Dean and you thrown back into my life. I was having some pretty scary high school flashbacks, right then. Anyway, I was hurt and…telling you I didn't want to be with you, that I didn't love you, was my way of hurting you back. It was silly, and childish, and just the first in a long line of immature decisions that brought me to the point where I was when you last saw me – miserable and aimless"

"I'm sorry, Rory, but I'm still not sure where you're going with this."

"Are you going to come back for Luke and my mom's wedding?"

"Uh…segue much there, Rory?"

"Um…well, I was just thinking. I know you have your life in Philadelphia now, and I still have two years of Yale left, or maybe only a year and a half if I take those classes this summer to make up for last fall…Anyway, I'd like it if we kept in touch. Called, emailed…I don't know…met up in Stars Hollow sometime? Or…uh…maybe…umm…we could even visit each other? Or, you know, I could visit you if the trip is too much for you to make…"

"Why Rory?"

"Um…I had sex with Dean."

"What?"

"While he was married. And when I first slept with Logan it was in an awful 'no strings attached' experiment...my brilliant idea by the way…"

"Rory! Please. I am so lost right now."

"Jess, did you know I've never really made love to anyone? Seriously, it's kinda sad. I've been having sex for two years, and I've never slept with someone I was in actually love with who was in love with me, too."

"Uh...still a little lost here, Ror."

"I gave myself to Dean, and all he gave me was a scarlet 'A' on my chest and a broken relationship with my mother. I gave myself to Logan and all he gave me was a Birkin bag…oh, and another rift in my relationship with Mom."

"I…don't really know what to say, Rory. What does this have to do with me…with us?"

"So, Logan and I broke up that night in the bar, after you left."

"Wow, Rory, you really need to work on this segue thing…"

"Duly noted. Actually, Logan and I had a big fight that night, and he assumed we were broken up. I had to find that out from his sister. He tried to win me back, but I finally got him to sit down and actually talk with me. Our relationship was based entirely on partying and having fun. Not exactly the deep-seated connection I want…need…to be happy. He was upset, and he brought you up again. He asked if you and I ever slept together, and if I still had feelings for you. I told him it was none of his business, and he said that if I had slept with you while I was dating him, it was his business. I told him that no, not only had we not slept together but also that was the first time we'd seen each other in months, but…"

"But what?"

"But as I said it, I felt almost…regretful…I don't know, and I couldn't bring myself to answer the second part of his question, partly because I wasn't sure how to answer it. Finally, he got fed up. We're over now. For good. And it's for the best, too."

"So…you're saying what? You may still have feelings for me? And you are asking if we can keep in touch and visit each other? You'd like to know if we can get together for…what? A late night booty call? Maybe hook up at your mom's wedding?..."

"Jess! That's not fair!..."

"…because that's not going to happen, Ror…"

"…I didn't mean…"

"I'd want more."

"Oh."

"You said that sleeping with Dean and Logan were immature decisions that had a bad affect on your life. I refuse to be another bad decision you make. We've been through enough crap already, it's amazing we're still on speaking terms; I don't know if we could take another major blow up like that."

"Uh, yeah. So…"

"So…what? Rory, we've both…been through a lot…since the last time we were actually together. Hell, that conversation at your grandparents' house was the first real conversation we'd had in two and a half years."

"But you, apparently, still knew me better than anyone else. And I listened to you when I wouldn't listen to anyone else. Probably because I knew you…I don't know, had been through rough times, too. Maybe because I know you had questioned what you were going to do with yourself before, too. And maybe just because me believing in you, even though others didn't always agree, and you succeeding, made me realize that maybe I should believe in the people who believe in me. Like you…like my mom, like Luke…"

"I know you well enough to know when you're not happy, no matter how long it's been. You weren't happy when I saw you."

"And now? Can you tell if I'm happy now?"

"You're back in school and you're back with your mom; yeah, you sound happier, but I think you still have a while to go before you're really happy again."

"Huh. So what are you suggesting?"

"Well, actually, you were the one who first suggested something, but…Rory, I would love to keep in touch with you, to call you and email you."

"And?"

"And, I think it would be great to see you at Luke and Lorelai's wedding, and maybe, sometime we can work out a way to visit each other."

"I feel a 'but' coming on…"

"You're right. BUT, I think we should leave it at that for a while, and not make any promises we can't keep. Or do anything…uh…rash."

"That sounds…reasonable. Very non-immature. You realize though that I'm going to be the maid of honor at the wedding, right?"

"Again, what has that got to do with anything?"

"Well, as my mother has told me repeatedly, it's my job as maid of honor to help my mom with the planning, throw her a bridal shower, and, of course, make out with one of the groomsmen."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes, it is so, but you see, it looks like the groomsmen may consist of you and Jackson. That's it. So you see, that puts me in an awkward position, because Jackson, of course, will be too busy doing silly things like paying attention to his wife to make out with me. But that's actually perfectly fine, since she's a bridesmaid, so she's allowed to make out with a groomsman, too. Unless, of course, you'd like to challenge Jackson for Sookie?"

"Um, no thanks. I could never date a chef. Too finicky."

"Aha. Clearly. So…"

"So…I think we should see when we get there. In the spirit of not making promises we can't keep."

"Oh. But even if you can't promise, that doesn't mean you don't…uh…I mean, in a hypothetical someday-maybe-I-think-I-hope kind of way maybe feel that…?"

"Ror, you've been it for me since the first time I laid eyes on you."

"Oh."

"But I'm not going to screw this up again by not telling you how I really feel, or by pushing you away, or by jumping into something that will put me on the same level as those other guys. I want more. You deserve more. We deserve more."

"Well, that's good to know. So, what does that mean exactly?"

"That means when…if…you give yourself to me, what you get in return is…me. All of me."

"Oh…wow. Jess. You really are…different. I think I like it."

"Yeah, well, two and a half years and a dump truck full of life experience can do that to a person."

"I suppose. So, I should go. It's cold and I've been standing outside for a little privacy. I should go now; get inside, get warm, put some headphones on and listen to music while I do work so I can't hear Paris and Doyle in their bedroom."

"I don't know whether that deserves an 'Okay, then' or a 'Yikes'. Either way, it sounds like you should go. Good luck with that."

"Yeah, thanks. So we're…good?"

"Yeah, we're good. I'll talk to you later, or actually…I'll call you. Tomorrow?

"Wow, you saying you're going call at a specific time? I'm thoroughly impressed…although, I guess I should wait to see if the follow-through is as good as the lead-up."

"Rory," Jess growled into the phone.

"Tomorrow, I get it. Goodbye, Jess."

"Goodbye, Rory"

Rory hung up her phone and took one last lingering glance at the expansive sky. As she breathed in a slow smile spread across her face and she dialed another number and put the phone to her ear again.

"Hi, Mom. I smell snow…You too?...You really think? Snow tomorrow night?...I hope you're right mom, about it snowing, and the good things that happen when it does."

**

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A/N: My first published fic. I'm hesitant to do more than a one parter because, you dear readers, deserve a decent update schedule on a continuing story. **

I'd really appreciate your reviews, even if it's just a simple 'Hi' and whether you liked it.

Thanks!


	2. Dress Daydreaming

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_DevilPup9_: Well, you've convinced me…here's another chapter!  
_Sanfrangiantsfan_: Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to try to see where I can take this, but since I didn't conceive of this as an ongoing story, I wanted to make sure I knew where it was going so it doesn't start fading quality-wise.  
_Mizz-michelle_: You want to see where it's going? So do I. ; ) Don't worry though, I'm working on it…  
_Luvablemilo_: I'll do my best! And thank you; I have a few ideas brewing so I'm sure you'll see me around again, even after this story finishes.  
_RoryandJess4ever_: Thank you. I'll do my best to make it stupendous!  
_Smellcolor_: lit/jj is my favorite, too. I want to keep this story lit centered, but I see some definite opportunities to sneak in some more jj also!  
_LitGG1982_: Thank you so much. I've been praying for the grown-up version of Jess for years now, and his recent appearance on the show made me so happy – I just wished he was back for good. Hence the fic. ; ) That line you liked and the Birkin bag line popped into my head and were the original inspiration for this entire fic, so I'm glad you noticed/liked it!

**AN: **I've decided to take this story further. I have a pretty good idea where this is headed for another 5 or 6 chapters for the time being. I'll try to write a lot this week before I go back to school on Monday, although I'll be working on my senior project this January, so I'll probably get more done while I'm procrastinating on that than anything else. For the record, I can be anal sometimes (hence my hesitance to make this story more than a one-shot, hehe – too late now!), and during the three hours I spent this evening planning out more of the story, what started out as researching when Yale's spring break was ended up in me actually setting up a schedule of real classes for Rory to take, along with some other details which I don't want to reveal just yet. If I understood Yale's graduation requirements better and knew what classes Rory had already taken, I probably would've tried to make the classes fit her requirements, too. As it was I had to leave it at likely classes based on interest and probable requirements. I don't know if I'll even use all of the details I worked out, but it all adds to the background of the story. Yes, I'm a little insane, but that's why people love me. Enjoy.

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Dress Daydreaming

It was a beautiful February morning, and the sun shining off the thick layer of fresh snow made Rory wish for sunglasses. Instead she settled on readjusting the driver's seat visor and concentrating on the road ahead. Her phone rang, causing her heart to leap for a moment before seeing MOM on the caller ID.

"Damn, I need to stop doing that to myself," she muttered under her breath.

She answered the phone quickly, wondering why her mother was calling her despite the fact that she was ten minutes from Stars Hollow and her mother wasn't expecting her for another twenty.

"Hi, mom," she sighed into the phone.

"Hello, my beautiful and amazing offspring! Why don't you sound more excited to talk to me?...Were you expecting another call? Oooooooo! I bet I know…you were hoping it was Jess," Lorelai teased in a sing-song voice.

"Shush mother. I shouldn't have told you anything the other night. Any information in your hands is dangerous."

"Now, now, hunny. Having raised you your entire life has already given me more than enough mocking material, so avoiding the issue won't save you one bit. Besides, we tried that whole 'not sharing' thing and I didn't like it one bit. I'm much more liking things this way. Speaking of Jess…have you talked to him again?"

Rory squirmed a bit in her seat and felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She was glad no one was around to see her.

"Yes, he called me just like he promised. I told him about getting the job at the Stamford paper and how my classes are going, and he told me more about his job with the printing press guys, and more of what's going on in his life now. In the last two and a half days I think he and I have covered every single thing either of us has done since I graduated from high school."

"Mmmhmm. That's a lot to cover."

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing…"

"Mom!"

"Well, speaking of your graduation…um, have you talked at all about what happened…uh…when he left? Or came back the first time? Or the second time for that matter…"

"A little bit, mostly about the most recent one though. I don't know if I want to open up too many old wounds."

"Yeah. It's not that I think you should dwell on the past or anything, but those are probably things you guys should get straightened out. Especially if you're considering…being friends…with him again."

"I guess. I mean, I blocked it out so quickly after it happened…we just haven't gotten around to it, yet. I mean, it's Saturday morning and we only just started talking again on Wednesday. It's not like we don't have plenty more time to bring things up."

"I know hunny, and I don't mean to push or anything, I was just curious and…I don't know, this whole thing with Luke and April has really hit home to me the importance of coming to terms with the past – yours and his."

"I know."

"And, I mean, I'm trying really hard to like Jess here, kid. He played a big role in getting the two of us back together, so that's, like, plus a thousand cool points in my book. But, he has a long history to make up for. I just don't want you getting hurt again."

"I won't, mom. Seriously, I'm actually looking forward to you seeing him again at the wedding. He's so…different. You've got to believe that he is. I do."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I'll try to take your word for it."

"Thanks, mom. Anyway, I'm, like, three seconds from Stars Hollow right now, so I'll just see you when I get home."

"See you soon."

Rory hung up her phone just as she was entering Stars Hollow. She took a minute to appreciate how pretty the town was, especially since it was covered in fresh snow. People walking down the street were smiling and waving to one another. It looked as if Kirk was having the time of this life handing out pink flyers while dressed in a diaper and holding a bow and arrow that Rory desperately hoped were fake. She waved through her window and was a little surprised when he came running after her car. She pulled over and rolled her window down as Kirk approached.

"Hi, Kirk."

"Hello, Rory. Here is a flyer for the Town Valentine's Day Dance on Tuesday. Will you be attending?"

"Well, probably not, Kirk. I've got school, and…"

"Excuse me, Rory," Kirk interrupted, "I see Lulu across the street and it's my duty as cupid to see she gets shot with an arrow so she'll fall in love with me."

"Uh, but Kirk, she already…um, and you're not actually going to…"

Rory gave up attempting to respond because Kirk was halfway across the square now, bow and arrow in hand.

"I hope those arrows are rubber-tipped," she mused as she glanced at the flyer quickly. She sighed and tossed it into her purse as she pulled back onto the road. It was depressing to think about a happy celebration of love when she had no idea what her relationship status with Jess was. Not that it mattered, anyway; he was in Philadelphia and she would likely be spending the day alone, in class, or doing schoolwork.

Rory pulled up outside her house to find Lorelai already waiting for her on the porch.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go," Lorelai squealed as she practically jumped into the car.

"Wait, I'm driving?" Rory asked while giving her mother a questioning look.

"Yes, you see you're already in the car, and your car is nice and warm, and you're already in it which means we can leave faster, which means I can see my dress again sooner, which means…hey? Why aren't you driving? Get a move on, missy!" Lorelai scolded as she settled herself into the car and buckled her seatbelt.

Rory chuckled as she pulled back onto the road again.

"Where is this place again?"

"'Brides to Be'. It's that one in Glastonbury, so head 84 East to exit 55."

"I thought you didn't find anything there the first time we looked. And I swear you tried on every dress they had."

"Well, I was so frustrated because I hadn't found "The Dress" yet, and the wedding is now almost exactly a month away, so the other day I left the inn early and I went back to almost all the stores we visited near Hartford. I went there again because, hello, vintage dresses, and one-of-a-kind dresses, and hey, they provided all the dresses for the movie "The Bachelor"; they've _got_ to have something for me, right? So, I tried on more dresses and I hated them all. But then, just as I was about to give up, I found one more that I didn't think I had seen before. I tried it on, and Rory, it's so perfect! This is my dress."

"So, why didn't you buy it?"

"Well, I almost thought it was too good to be true. And I want your opinion, too, so I put it on hold with a deposit. Oh Rory, what happens if we go back and I hate it?"

"I doubt you're going to hate it, mom. If you loved it the first time, I'm sure you'll still love it now."

"I hope you're right. But I can't think about it anymore, not until you get to see it, too!"

"So, just put something on the radio for now."

Lorelai scanned the radio stations, skipping one with Metallica playing and another playing Tool, until she found one with the Bangles playing. They rode the rest of the way in surprising silence; the music filled Rory's thoughts with Jess, and she was sure Lorelai was too busy daydreaming about her dress to notice.

Once they reached the store, Lorelai asked the woman at the counter to find the dress she had put on hold. The woman quickly returned and pointed Lorelai to a dressing room where she could try on the dress one more time.

"Well kid, me and my dress are going to get reacquainted. I'll let you know when I'm ready for you to see it."

"You sure you don't need any help?"

"Nope. I'm excited, but I think I can still dress myself," Lorelai replied giddily as she skipped off into the dressing room.

While Rory was waiting, she found herself rifling through the racks of beautiful white gowns, and considering which styles she liked best.

"May I help you, Miss? That dress would look lovely on you." A saleswoman approached Rory from behind, startling her.

"Oh, no! I'm not getting married, my mom is. I'm just here for her. Not for me. Nope, she's the one getting hitched. Thank you, though."

Rory felt her face heat and turn crimson as she moved further down the rack and away from the prying eyes of the woman who had startled her so much by suggesting that she, Rory Gilmore, would be interested in looking at wedding dresses for herself.

"Not that there is anything so wrong with me looking at dresses," she chastised herself quietly. "Lots of girls dream about their weddings, even when they're not planning on getting married soon."

She wandered back to her mother's dressing room and stood outside.

"You ready yet, mom?"

"Almost, babe. Just give me another minute."

Rory drifted over to the rack which held recently tried on but rejected dresses, and began looking through them. One in particular caught her eye and she couldn't help but pull it out so she could get a closer look at it. It was beautiful; a sleek bodice and a large ball gown bottom, entirely covered in intricate embroidering. If it was her turn to have a "The Dress" moment, this would be it. Rory glanced around to see if she was alone. When she saw that she was by herself, she couldn't help but walk over to the three-way mirror and hold the dress up to herself. She stood there for a while, imagining herself in the gorgeous gown, with her hair and makeup done, getting ready to walk down the aisle. She saw herself nervously adjusting her veil and fidgeting with her bouquet, before taking her father's arm and making her first tentative steps down the aisle. She imagined her eyes rising to meet the gaze of her soon-to-be husband, waiting expectantly at the alter. A nervous smile spread across Rory's face in the mirror when she realized whose eyes she had met in her daydream. Jess.

"You would look like a princess in that dress," Lorelai sighed happily from behind her, causing Rory to once again jump and feel the heat rise in her face.

"Mom! Don't sneak up on me like that! I was just looking because you were…"

Rory stopped suddenly when she turned fully and finally got a good look at Lorelai in her dress.

"Oh, mom. That dress. That is "The Dress". I can't believe how amazing you look!"

"I know! I just can't believe it. It wasn't too good to be true. And now I'll have my dress, and I won't have to walk down the aisle in a gown made out of newspaper!"

"Don't be silly, mom."

"No, but…this is it, babe. It's really happening. Seeing myself in this dress, and the feeling I get wearing it…this is really happening!"

Rory saw tears rising in her mother's face, so she quickly hung up the dress she had been looking at and ran over to Lorelai to give her an excited, but careful, hug. They squealed excitedly, and even jumped up and down a bit, as they were wont to do when celebrating exciting news.

After they had calmed down a bit, Lorelai took a deep breath and said, "Now, let's buy this dress and get home to Luke's, because I'm starving."

"Sure you are. Getting the dress just put you in a mushy mood and you want to go there and ogle Luke."

"So what if I do want that? He's gonna be _my husband_ in exactly 4 weeks. I'm _allowed_ to ogle."

"Don't gloat. Let's go home."

**

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AN: More soon, don't worry!**


	3. Be Mine?

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**AN:** When I sat down to write the last chapter, it ended up being ten pages long, so I broke it into two parts. Here's more!

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Be Mine?

After buying the dress, driving back to Star's Hollow, and safely storing Lorelai's dress in Rory's closet – Luke wouldn't dare go in there – Rory and Lorelai headed to Luke's for lunch.

As they settled into one of their usual tables, Luke arrived with two mugs and a pot of fresh coffee.

"Oooo! Fresh coffee, I can smell it! And we didn't even have to argue over it. He likes me, he really likes me."

Lorelai batted her eyelashes for good measure while Luke sighed heavily.

"It's just that I know you and Rory were going to look at some dress, and the last three times you came back from wedding dress shopping, you were disappointed and begged for coffee right away. I figured I'd play it safe and have the coffee ready for you."

"Aww, how sweet. Look, hunny, I think I found a keeper."

"Yeah, well…this time you look happy. I assume it went well?"

"It sure did, Luke," Rory supplied excitedly. "The dress is perfect, and she looks amazing!"

Lorelai shot Rory a look and warned, "Shhhh…no more info for him. I got a dress. That's it. He can find out more on the wedding day."

Luke rolled his eyes, but leaned down to whisper quietly in Lorelai's ear.

Rory couldn't quite hear what Luke said to her mom, but she could tell it was something mushy by the sparkle in her mother's eyes. Rory loved that Luke had a sentimental side that he kept hidden from most of the world. It made him hard to get close to, but it was worth it once you got there. Once again, Rory's train of thought brought her back to Jess. If ever there was someone who put up walls to hide his emotions behind, Jess was that person. The past few days though…she could feel him literally taking his walls down, brick by brick, to let her in. It made her feel special that he would take the time to open up to her, especially since through their conversations she had started to realize exactly how thick those walls of his were.

Rory's phone rang and she smiled as Luke put on his serious face and pointed to the door.

"I'm going, I'm going," she assured Luke as she pulled out her phone to check the caller ID.

"Actually, Luke…could I?" Rory asked as she pointed to the stairs which led up to the apartment.

Luke seemed surprised at her request, but nodded anyway. Rory dashed up the stairs so she would be out of earshot by the time she answered. She pressed "answer" and started out with a slightly breathless, "Hello".

Rory didn't want to invade Luke's apartment, even if he didn't spend much time there anymore, so she sat down and leaned against the wall in the hallway at the top of the stairs.

"Hi Rory, did I catch you at a bad time?"

"No, Jess, I'm glad you called. I was in the diner, and, well, you know Luke."

"Well, that explains it."

"So…"

Rory fiddled nervously with a small piece of her hair that had come down out of her ponytail, waiting for Jess to talk.

"So…actually, there is a reason I called."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I wanted to double check the dates of your spring break. I can take two weeks off at work and since I'm coming back for the wedding, I thought maybe I'd stick around for a while after. I'm sure Luke will need help at the diner while he's gone, but even if he doesn't…I figured maybe…if you're off, and I'm off, we could spend some time together."

Rory's stomach balled up in a knot at the thought of spending time with Jess. Alone time with Jess. Where they could talk or…well, just be together, by themselves.

"Oh. That would be…really nice. Have you asked Luke if he needed help?"

"No, but I thought I'd offer. I'll mention it next time I talk to him."

Rory paused to smile at the thought of Jess voluntarily offering to help Luke out. She placed this bit of info on the mental list she had of proof he had changed from his hooligan ways.

"Um, my last midterm is on Wednesday, March 1st, and classes start again on March 20th. The way my classes fall I get a pretty long break. Of course the wedding is on the 11th, so anything before then will probably be filled by helping my mom out with any last-minute details. And I still have my job at the Stamford paper, which I don't really get time off from, but I'll be home otherwise."

"Good to hear. The week before the wedding is going to be crazy for me at work, but they're expecting a bit of a lull after that, so they were okay with me taking off for a while. Besides, I'm going to take the opportunity to check in at a few of the bookstores which agreed to carry my book, so I figured that technically, I'm not _completely_ abandoning work for two weeks."

"It's nice that your job is that flexible."

"Well, it's not always that way, but this is a special occasion, and the guys understood."

"So, you'll be back in town when?"

"I have a few things to take care of right after I get done with work, but I figure I'll be in Stars Hollow by the 6th, and stay until Luke and Lorelai get back from their honeymoon on the 19th."

"Rory!" Rory looked up when she heard her name being called up the stairs.

"Yes, Luke?"

"Your food is ready. Your mom ordered for you. I just wanted you to know."

"Thanks!" Rory shouted down the stairs.

"Sorry about that," she apologized to Jess.

"No, it's okay. Hey listen before you go…"

Rory waited for Jess to continue, though it took quite a few seconds.

"What are you doing for Valentine's Day?"

"Why?" Rory asked perplexedly.

"No reason, really. I want to know if there are any other guys out there trying to woo you or something. Just…I feel bad that I'm here in Philadelphia, and I won't be there…with you."

Rory sighed at being reminded of Valentine's Day again.

"Well, there's a town dance, which I actually don't want to go to, especially not alone. I'm kind of jaded about Valentine's Day right now, anyway. You know, the whole holiday created by the greeting card companies thing and all that. I have classes all day and won't finish until after five. I think I'm just going to stay home and do some work. I have an article due Friday, so I might as well work on it then so I'm not finishing it last minute."

"Oh. Alright then…just…Ror?"

"Yes?"

"You know I want you to be my Valentine, right?"

Rory couldn't suppress the smile spreading across her face at that moment.

"Aww, look at you. Going soft, already? Two years ago I would've had to bribe you with a book and a kiss to get you to do anything Valentine's related," Rory teased gently.

Jess answered more seriously than she expected. "I'm not the man I was two years ago, Ror."

Taking a deep breath and swallowing her heart, which had found its way to her throat, Rory answered, "No, you're not. I'm seeing that more and more."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, contemplating their situation.

"Well, I should go eat my food before it gets cold. Goodbye, Jess."

"Goodbye, Rory. I'll talk to you later."

Rory headed downstairs to find a burger, fries, and a fresh cup of coffee at her seat.

"Aww, what a good provider you found us, mom."

"I know I did," Lorelai smirked while casting a surreptitious glance at the man in question.

Luke was in the middle of a conversation with Lane, who had arrived for her shift while Rory was upstairs.

"No, Luke. I'm not doing it," she stated exasperatedly.

"C'mon Lane, it's not that hard. You just need to go over what we used during the week and then place the orders on things we need so we don't run out."

"No, Luke. I'm sorry, but it's not happening."

"C'mon Lane, I'll be gone for a whole week after the wedding, and I can't go that long without ordering."

"Make Caesar do it."

"No way, the last time I let him to the ordering, we ended up with 300 jars of pickles, 20 packages of pumpernickel bread, and nothing else."

"Luke, I'm sorry, but I do music. I can play music, write music, list every band to hit #1 on the charts for the last twenty years, but I _will_ mess this up. Maybe not as bas as Caesar, but bad enough were you do _not_ want me in charge of it."

Luke growled in frustration and sent Lane back to serving the customers, while he wiped the counter to soothe his nerves.

Rory looked over at Luke.

"Hey Luke, did Jess ever do the ordering when he was here?"

Luke looked at her questioningly. He was confused as to why she was bringing up Jess, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Yeah, he did it a few times, why?"

"Why not ask him to do it?"

"Well, he'd kinda have to _be_ here to do it, Rory."

"Well, yeah, but he said that he's going to stick around for the week after the wedding. He said he figured you would probably need the help here at the diner, so I'm sure doing the ordering would go as part of that."

Luke just stared at her for a moment before answering.

"When did you talk to Jess?"

Rory lowered her eyes sheepishly from Luke's questioning gaze.

"He, uh…actually, that was him on the phone earlier. We've been talking a bit…the past couple days."

"Oh. He's not being a jerk or anything is he? Cause I'll kick his butt when he gets here if he is..."

"No, no. He's been…really nice."

"Oh. Well. Huh."

"Yeah."

"Thanks for telling me…you know, about him offering to help out."

"No problem."

Luke went back to wiping the counter, this time shaking his head in disbelief. Rory went back to eating her food but was still a little embarrassed about Luke finding out her and Jess that way. It didn't help when she caught the smirk on her mom's face.

"Mom!"

"What hunny?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"Ignoring you now."

"Go right ahead. You can't ignore my mocking forever!"

"Watch me."

Rory went back to eating her food, again. This time she couldn't help but feel a little giddy inside; Jess wanted to be her Valentine, even if he wouldn't be there with her, she was going to see him at the wedding, and he was going to stick around for a whole week after that. She was happy and nervous, and just generally excited. She didn't know who was looking forward to this wedding more, her or her mother.

**

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AN: Well, those two chapters only took about eight hours to write. Hehe, I'm too much of a perfectionist for my own good. That's it for now, but more will be on its way soon.**

Please review, it really does encourage the writing process!


	4. Grumpy Valentine's Day

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:**

_LitGG1982: _Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying my vision of the characters. I hope I will keep it up!_  
BreathTaker: _Here's to attempting to make you an addict! I feel that Jess' character on the show has been left with so much to develop. If ASP won't do it, then I will! Heh._  
milofan3150: _I'm so happy you enjoy my work. It's really encouraging, especially since this is the first fic I've published._  
luvablemilo: _Thank you. And you want more Jess? You got him. I think you'll enjoy this chapter.  
_H0ll3R:_ Thank you! I'll try my best!  
_DevilPup9:_ I'm happy you're happy. If they're in character, it's probably because I've watched the show so much recently, I can practically hear them talking in my head. (It happens when you watch from "Luke Can See Her Face" through the entire fifth season in one night…and morning, for that matter.)  
_gilmore15girl:_ Thank you! I usually just write the characters how I hear them in my head (and not in the crazy way, lol), so, even though I know the show really well, a teeny bit OOC is bound to happen at some point. I'm glad you liked the dress part. I had it planned a completely different way, but I like how it turned out.  
_sanfrangiantsfan: _Thank you again! I feel that part of Jess growing up is his emerging ability to be cute if he wants. It doesn't threaten his tough facade anymore. ; )

**AN: **If only I could be inspired to put as much effort into my schoolwork as I've just put into this story the past 24 hours…Ah well, so anyway…after compulsively checking my stats page to see how many people had read this story (forgive me, it's my first published fic, lol), I decided I was better off putting my energy to productive use. Hence, this chapter; I was also looking forward to some more Rory/Jess interaction, as the last chapters didn't have quite as much as I'd hoped. I think this chapter more than makes up for it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Grumpy Valentine's Day 

Rory squeezed her eyes shut and snuggled deeper into her covers. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could use the Jedi Mind Trick to shut off her alarm without actually getting up.

"…"

Nope, not working. She tried ignoring it, but after a just a few moments the beeping started to grate on her nerves, so she gave in, and hopped out of bed while shutting the alarm off in one swift motion.

"This is going to be one of those days, I can tell," Rory thought out loud.

She stumbled over to the window and pulled back the curtain. What she saw was a steel gray sky, bare trees bending in a strong wind, and cars splashing across wet and slushy pavement.

"Ugh. Perfect, the weather matches my mood," she muttered under her breath.

She changed into her robe and grabbed a towel on her way to take a shower. However, she bumped into Paris in the hallway before she could get there.

"Morning, Gilmore! Sleep well last night? Who was it that you were talking to until so late last night, huh?" Paris asked suggestively while rubbing her hair dry with a towel.

"Paris, you are way too eager for this time of the morning, on this type of morning. None of your business."

Rory pushed past Paris into the bathroom, but swore she heard Paris mutter "Touchy!" before she shut the door. Rory was sure this funky mood of hers was nothing a long, hot shower couldn't cure. Sure, it was Valentine's Day, and she was spending it alone, but that was no reason for her to sulk. However, as she stepped into the shower, she was hit with an icy cold blast, and she began to rethink her previous decision not to sulk.

"Paris!" she yelled as loud as she could. "You used all the hot water!"

All she got in response was a slammed door.

"Fine," Rory muttered angrily to herself.

Rory did her best to tolerate the cold water and finished her shower in record time. By the time she was dressed and her hair was done, she could smell coffee being brewed in the kitchen. The smell was too tempting to ignore, so she followed her nose out her bedroom door and down the hallway.

Paris held out a mug. "Peace offering? I'm sorry I used all the hot water."

Rory sighed, but tried to respond as civilly as possible. After all, Paris _did _make her coffee.

"It's okay Paris, I'm just in a bad mood this morning and taking a cold shower didn't help much."

Paris nodded and went back to making herself breakfast, all the while humming and sort of bouncing up and down as she moved about the kitchen.

Finally, Rory couldn't help but cave in a little.

"You seem pretty chipper yourself, though."

"Ah, yes. Doyle is taking me out tonight. A real, fancy Valentine's Day date. He won't tell me what we're doing though; he wants it to be a surprise."

Rory felt another wave of grumpiness come over her at the mention of Valentine's Day.

"So, neither he nor I will be home until late tonight. Do you have any plans?"

"I've got a hot date with an article that's due Friday."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Oh."

"Oh, what?"

"Nothing, it's just…you've been glued to that phone of yours for almost a week now. I don't know who you're talking to, but I know it's not Lorelai. I just thought it might be a guy. C'mon, Gilmore, spill."

Rory avoided Paris' eyes before answering quietly, "Jess."

"Who?"

"You remember Jess? You met him back in high school."

"That Kerouac and Bukowski worshipping kid…I thought he was a jerk?"

"Well, he's not. He's not a jerk, but he's also not here, and the last thing I want to talk about is Valentine's Day when I'm all by myself."

Rory got up and stomped back to her bedroom. She glanced at the clock; 9:45, her first class didn't start for another forty-five minutes. She found her phone underneath her pillow and called

Jess, even though she knew he would be at work by now. It rang until his voicemail picked up.

"Ugh. Voicemail. Yeah, hi. Sorry, I know you're at work now. I'm just tired from talking last night, and it's gross out today, and Paris used all the hot water, and she's bouncing around the apartment because she's excited it's Valentine's Day and Doyle is taking her on a date, and I don't want to be around her, and I'm in a bad mood, and…I'm rambling. I'm not even sure why I called you. Um, sorry to bother you with all that, I guess I'll talk to you later."

Rory hung up her phone and threw it on the bed in frustration. She hated being in a bad mood, and she wasn't sure how she felt that her first reaction had been to call Jess. She grabbed her backpack, cell phone, and purse and headed out the door, ignoring Paris and Doyle as she swept through the living room and out the door.

By the time she arrived at her 'French: Advanced Culture and Conversation' class, however, she wasn't in a much better mood. She had missed the bus she wanted to take and ended up walking instead. It hadn't helped that a rather large truck had sprayed her with water from a puddle early on in the trip. She was still earlier than usual to class, but there were several of her classmates standing around in the hallway, most conversing in French and correcting each other's grammar.

"Excuse me," she said to the girl who usually sat next to her, "but why is everyone here so early?"

The girl looked at Rory with wide eyes. "Didn't you check your email yesterday?" She almost chuckled when Rory shook her head. "Professor Abiven sent everyone a notice; she's doing an impromptu assessment of the class, a one-on-one conversation with her. She's not sure yet how it will factor into our grades."

The girl turned back to the friend she had been speaking with, and they resumed their practice.

"Crap. This day just isn't getting any better," Rory exclaimed with exasperation.

(0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000)

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Jess was checking his voicemail after getting out of a meeting with his boss. His face lit up when he saw the missed call was Rory, but it quickly fell again when he listened to her message. He hit Rory's speed dial number and waited for her to pick up. He was surprised when she answered but didn't bother saying hello.

"I can't talk now. My French class starts in ten minutes and there's some sort of oral pop-quiz or something. Gah, first all that crap at the apartment, and then I missed the bus, and then I walked to school and got splashed by a truck. And now my professors are out to get me, too. This day just keeps getting worse!"

And with that, the line went dead. Jess stood for a minute in the hallway weighing his options, before knocking on his boss' door.

(0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000)

Rory's last class ended at 5:20. At 5:21 her cell phone rang, and she was surprised, but relieved, to see JESS on the caller ID.

"Hey," she answered grumpily

"Hi, Rory. Is your day going any better?" Jess asked. Rory's bad mood almost melted a little at the sincerity in his voice.

"Lunch was terrible so I didn't eat much. I don't think I did very well on that French pop-quiz, and then I was too out of it because of French and lunch to concentrate in my 'Gender, Culture & Globalization class, and now in 'Criminality and the Novel' I couldn't stop thinking about you because you're the last person I had a good conversation about Dostoevsky with and I kept wanting to interject, 'Well, Jess would say…'"

"So, I'll take that as a 'no'?"

"And to top it all off, everyone around me is wearing pink or red and carrying around flowers or candy or some ridiculous Valentine."

"Still not in the mood for Valentine's Day, are we?"

"I know, I'm sorry. But if I never see another bouquet of red flowers accompanied by candy and balloons, it will be too soon," Rory finished with a huff.

"Wow, Rory, you're going to challenge Luke for his title of 'Biggest Grump about a Holiday That's Supposed to Make People Happy' if you keep ranting like that."

"Gah! Don't you start in on me, too!"

"Rory," Jess interrupted soothingly, "why don't you go back to your apartment and relax. Do you have a favorite take-out place?"

Rory held out for a moment, not wanting to let go of her bad mood. The idea was tempting though. "Well, yeah. I guess I could really go for some sushi and crispy orange chicken from China 19."

"Okay then, go home, order food, and take a bath or something while you wait for your food to get there. I'm sure you'll find a non-stressful way to spend your evening."

"That does sound good…but, I have work I..."

"Rory. No. Relax. You need it. I can tell, remember? I'm the one who knows you better than anyone else."

Rory took a deep breath and as she let it out slowly, she decided Jess was right.

An hour later, Rory was soaking in a now-lukewarm bath. She had felt the stresses of the day melt away, and now she was left in a much better mood than before. She still wasn't exactly happy, but she couldn't quite place what was wrong. As she stepped out of the tub, put on her robe, and wandered out into her empty apartment, it hit her. She was lonely. She was contemplating calling Jess again, but the doorbell interrupted her thoughts.

"Food!" she cried to her empty apartment. She had to admit she was starving by now.

Rory grabbed her purse and headed for the door, temporarily forgetting she was dressed only in her robe. She opened her door while digging through her purse, saying "Hi, sorry it took me a while to get to the door. How much do I…"

She trailed off as she realized she recognized the delivery man, and not because she had ordered food from the same place too many times.

"Jess. What are you…How did you…Why?" She stumbled over her words in the shock of seeing him so unexpectedly.

He brushed past her into the apartment as he began to explain himself.

"Well, to answer your questions, in order: I'm here delivering your dinner, and mine too by the way; I stopped by the restaurant and told them we decided to pick up the food instead of having it delivered. I'm hoping to keep you company for the evening. I took the train here from Philly after we talked this morning, and before you get too excited, I have work tomorrow, so I'm taking the 12:26 am train back tonight. And as for 'why?'…"

Jess paused, placed the bags down on the counter and turned back towards Rory. He searched out her eyes and when he met them, his face grew serious and he took a few steps closer.

"Altruistically, you needed cheering up. Selfishly, I needed to see you…touch you…to make sure all these late night conversations about you and I…and us…haven't been just dreams."

Rory's heart, after nearly stopping when he showed up at her door, was now racing as he stood in her kitchen. She took a step forward, hesitated, and then crossed the remaining distance between them in a few quick strides. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her head in his shoulder.

He savored the moment of holding her, really holding her, for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He reached his hand up to stroke her hair, but chuckled when he felt that it was wet and cold.

"I see you took my advice. Did it help?"

He felt her nod into his chest, but decided from the way she felt in his arms that he still had a good amount of cheering up to do before the night was over. Suddenly, she backed away, and Jess could see her cheeks turning red as she fiddled with the collar of her robe.

"I'm going to, uh, get dressed now."

He liked that she was still so modest, and that he could make her blush without even trying.

"I'll set up the food, so hurry back before it gets cold."

Ten minutes later, Rory was standing behind the door to her bedroom reaching for the doorknob, but repeatedly pulling her hand back like the knob was on fire. She occasionally would step back to pace across the room a few times before returning to the door to repeat the process.

"This isn't happening. Jess didn't just travel more than three hours to see me when he has to get back for work in the morning. He didn't. He didn't bring me dinner and he's not sitting on my couch. This isn't happening. I can't believe this is happening. Great…and now he's got me talking to myself, too."

Rory spun around once and threw her hands in the air in frustration, then stopped, stared at the door, and took a deep breath. She counted to five as she slowly let the breath out. She was ready now. Rory returned to her living room to find Jess settled comfortably on the couch with the food spread out before him on the coffee table and a movie ready to be played on the TV.

When she didn't come over to the couch, Jess gave her a puzzled look. When she blushed and avoided his gaze, he stood up to talk to her.

"Rory, you agreed to be my Valentine, and since you said you didn't want to see roses, candy, and balloons anymore the rest of your life, I brought take-out, a movie, and myself. I just wanted to cheer you up."

His voice sounded so sincere, Rory's heart almost broke from the strain of hearing it.

"Are you really taking a 12:26 am train back to Philly?" Rory had to speak slowly to keep her vice from shaking. She hoped he didn't notice. She could tell by his reaction that he did. He was looking at her fondly.

"You'd better believe it. I had quite a bit of convincing to do for my boss to let me out early today. Part of the deal is that I'll be back tomorrow, no excuses."

"How long is the train ride?"

"I'll get back to the 30th St. station at about 4:35 am. I should be home by five if I can find a taxi right away."

"And you have work at nine? Jess, you're going to be exhausted!"

He flashed her one of his trademark smirks, and reached out to grab her hand. She found herself being led over to the couch, chopsticks were placed in her hand, and a very serious Jess sat down next to her.

"Rory, I need to know…is _Almost Famous_ okay? I thought, for old times sake…"

He was teasing her. For the first time all day, Rory cracked an actual smile, and his smirk widened into one of his rare lopsided smiles.

"Yes, _Almost Famous_ sounds great."

Rory reached for her food and began to dig in. She and Jess shared the sushi, and she even managed to steal a few pieces of his beef and broccoli, thinking he didn't notice. They really enjoyed the movie: cracking jokes, commenting or mocking when necessary, and singing along to 'Tiny Dancer'. It reminded Rory of that brief period of time in high school when she and Jess were really happy together, and Lane would tease them about acting like an old married couple.

As the credits rolled, Rory turned to Jess and watched him for a moment before he turned to see her. She couldn't help but smile as she watched the light play across his face, now relaxed and smiling slightly from enjoying the end of the movie. She could hardly believe that this happy, considerate, warm man was the same boy who had broken her heart so many times before. He turned and caught her watching him.

"What are you looking at?" he teased.

She reached for the remote and turned off the television, leaving them in a sudden silence. Turning her body on the couch so she was facing him, she looked at him seriously, and then dropped her gaze down to her hands; unintentionally just the actions to really pique his curiosity.

"What is it?"

"So, I was talking to my mom the other day."

"A good thing."

"Yes, a good thing. And I told her a bit about us and how we've been talking."

"I'm not so sure this is a good thing for me anymore."

Rory chuckled slightly, but assured him, "You helped me back to her. She doesn't hate you. She doesn't _trust _you, but she doesn't hate you."

"Well, at least I have something to work with."

"Yes. So, anyway…She suggested that I ask…well, I'm not really sure if I should bring this up, but I guess I'm curious, too…"

"What is it, Ror?"

"You left. You left after that thing in Kyle's bedroom…and not graduating…and not saying goodbye…and I don't understand."

When Jess sighed deeply and closed his eyes, Rory continued quickly, "I didn't mean to open up old wounds, it's just…I guess I never really understood, and if we're going to…be….together…I need to understand you."

"No, it's okay, Ror. I've wanted to bring it up before, but I was afraid it would be too sore of a subject."

"I want to understand you."

"And I want you to know."

After pausing to collect himself, Jess started his story while staring at a dust bunny in the corner. It was too painful to look her in the eye.

"The day of Kyle's party, I got called into the principle's office when I tried to buy prom tickets. I was told that I had missed too many days to graduate, and that there was no way I could make it up except by repeating the entire year. Now, there was no way I was going to endure another year of that hell, but that was the least of my immediate problems. Since I wasn't graduating, I couldn't buy prom tickets. I felt completely lost, and like a total loser. First off, I'd let Luke down and broken my agreement with him that I could live with him as long as I graduated."

For a moment, Jess paused and looked at Rory.

"Luke was the first person to ever take a genuine interest in me, besides you; he didn't want anything in return but same amount of respect he offered me, he repeatedly refused to give up on me, and now I was supposed to go tell him I wasn't even going to graduate from high school?"

Jess shook his head and then looked at Rory one last time before continuing, first being sure to fix his gaze somewhere safe, like at the scratch in the floorboard by the coffee table.

"And then, seeing you…God, being around you that night was so hard. You are amazing, beautiful, and smart. And I was a complete loser. I was sure Luke was going to kick me out, so soon I was going to be a homeless loser, too. How could I tell you that I wasn't going to take you to prom, and that you were now officially dating a high school dropout? It was too shameful. I couldn't bear to see the disappointment in your eyes. I had seen it before in others too many times, and I think seeing it in yours would have broken down every last reserve of strength that I had."

Jess glanced up when he heard a sniffle from Rory. Big mistake; now he had tears shimmering in his eyes to match hers. Once again he needed to find a safe place for his eyes, especially for this part. Aha, the paint chip on the wall in the corner would do.

"At Kyle's party, things just got worse. You were trying to be a good girlfriend and comfort me, but I didn't want your comfort. I felt I didn't deserve it, just like I didn't deserve you. I wanted to make you understand that I wasn't worthy of you, so you would stop wasting your time on me, and so I could go on with my life and blame you for giving up on me."

"Oh, Jess. If you had only told me! I would've understood!..."

Rory now had tears streaming down her face, but Jess determinedly kept his gaze focused in the corner of the room.

"Please, let me finish, Rory. When you followed me up to Kyle's bedroom, I wanted nothing more than to escape everything for a little while, and to pretend like everything was going to be okay. Part of me thought that if I could make you happy…physically…it would somehow make up for me failing in every other aspect of our relationship. When you didn't want me to go further – and you were right to stop me, Ror – I got angry because you were cutting me off from the one way I thought I might actually be capable of pleasing you. With that plan shot, I reverted to the one of making you realize how much I sucked, which resulted in me yelling at you. I followed you out of the room, but seeing you crying to Dean, and I know it was just a coincidence that he was standing there, but, it didn't matter; everything combined to just make me feel completely inadequate…So, I did the only thing I knew how to…I got mad. You know what happened after that."

Jess sat silently for a minute, his eyes swimming and his head filled with private thoughts. Rory reached out and gently brushed her hand on his arm. After a moment, he managed to turn to face her, despite the pain of seeing her face covered in tears he knew he had caused. He continued without breaking eye contact with Rory.

"My dad, Jimmy, showed up in Stars Hollow. He said he wanted to see me, though we only saw each other for a minute before he ran out the door – literally. That same night, I told Luke I wasn't going to graduate, and when I insisted that I wouldn't repeat 12th grade, he told me I couldn't stay there anymore. I was dumbfounded that he would stick to his guns on the agreement we had. Liz always was a pushover, but I should've known better with Luke. So, basically, I was feeling like a complete jackass loser, and I figured I might as well spare everyone the pain of dealing with me. Jimmy was good at leaving, so I figured I'd follow in his footsteps and leave, too. Besides, I couldn't stay with Luke, and I didn't want to stay with Liz, so I figured Jimmy owed me at least a place to crash in exchange for skipping out on me as a baby. Even if not, I felt I didn't have anything to lose. So, I headed out to California without saying goodbye. Saying goodbye meant I would have to explain myself, something I just wasn't prepared to do. So I lied, and told you I'd call you. Though I could tell by the look on your face you didn't believe me. I thought it was better that way. I felt that if you hated me, it somehow justified my treatment of you. I called you, always intending to say goodbye for real. But then, that one time, you said you may have loved me, but then said goodbye for me…and I realized I had screwed up, big time. I couldn't hate you for hating me, because you loved me. And then I had to deal with the fact that I had truly and utterly failed someone who actually loved me."

After another long pause, Jess finished with, "I know better now…about all of it. I'm sorry I put you through that. And those next two times I came back to see you were just the result of me trying to grow up and get my shit together, but not quite succeeding. I wasn't really ready yet. I'm sorry about those times, too."

Rory was feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything Jess had just revealed to her. She had no idea how to respond, but she decided a good start would be to reach over and take his hand in hers, so she did. Jess was a bit surprised she was still there and reaching out to him; she had every right to hate him. Instead, she shifted closer to him on the couch, turned, and leaned back against his chest.

They sat together in a comfortable silence for a good half an hour; sitting on the couch with his arms wrapped around her they both lost themselves in their own thoughts. Eventually, Rory decided she was ready to break the silence. She shifted her weight, and caught his eye.

"I understand now."

"Thank you for listening to me."

"Thank you for opening up to me."

"It was about time, Rory. It was about time."

She leaned back against him again and was soon yawning.

"Are you tired?"

"A little."

"Do you want to go to bed? You've had a long day…"

"No…I want to stay here with you a little longer…"

"Okay."

It was only a matter of minutes before Rory had drifted off to sleep. Jess checked his watch; 11:30, he should leave for the train station soon. Jess stood up carefully, trying not to wake Rory. She stirred a bit, but didn't wake. He went to her room and made sure her bed was made and then returned to the living room to carry her back. As he tucked her under her covers, he couldn't help but lean down to kiss her forehead. She smiled slightly in her sleep, and snuggled further under the covers. He made sure her alarm was set for the morning so she wouldn't miss her classes, and then returned to the living room and cleaned up the mess from their movie night. By the time he left, the only trace of his having been there at all was a small red Valentine, left on top of her clock.

**

* * *

AN: This is it for now. Don't worry, more is on its way, but it's time I slept a bit and did something away from the computer for at least a little while.**

Please review! It inspires me to write, and then you get chapters faster. : )


	5. Back in Town

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_gilmore15girl: _I've always felt that there needs to be a good reason for people to act the way Jess has in the past. It feels good to explain it like I see it and its important that Rory (and us) know why he was a jerkface so we can believe that he's really different now.  
_IloveJoeL: _Thank you. Here's more…  
_BreathTaker: _Thank you and you're very welcome.  
_DevilPup9: _Not two right now, but at least a nice long one is better than none, right?  
_H0ll3R: _If I could give you a free pass into my brain I would, because I can see it playing out like a movie in my head.  
_luvablemilo: _I'm glad you liked it, it was fun to write.  
_evangeline b: _I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and I'm glad it inspired you with your fic!  
_Cila: _Thanks, and here's your update.  
_LitGG1982: _I am so happy you like this, and I really appreciate your great reviews!  
_brucasforever: _Well, now you don't have to wait anymore…here's the next chapter!  
_RougueHoney: _Thank you. Here's more…

* * *

Back in Town 

It was an unseasonably warm day in early March, where the blue skies and gentle breeze could almost trick you into believing that winter had given up and spring was just around the corner. Rory was making the short walk from her house to Luke's to meet her mother for lunch, enjoying the comforting atmosphere of her hometown. Just as she crossed the street from the town square to the diner, she heard a car horn beep behind her. She turned around just as Jess pulled up next to her and rolled his window down.

"Remind me again why I came back to this town earlier than I absolutely had to?"

Rory laughed and reprimanded him, "Because you want to help Luke before the wedding, and you couldn't wait to see me again. That's why."

Jess rolled his eyes and pulled away to park in a space just down the block, quickly returning with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder to find Rory waiting for him. They entered the diner together and Jess approached the counter to address Luke.

"I'm not paying for a hotel, so I'm staying here," he said and he turned and made his way to the staircase.

Luke just stared after him at first, and then muttered, "Some things never change…" before turning his attention to Rory.

"Your mom called, she'll be here any minute…something about Michel harassing another guest."

"Thanks, Luke. I'll just have some coffee 'til she gets here."

"Sure thing. Grab a seat."

Rory took the table in the corner by the window just as Jess returned down the stairs.

"Hey, Luke, I'd like to at least get something for lunch first, but if you need help this afternoon or whatever, just let me know," Jess said as he brushed past the counter and headed over to the table where Rory was sitting.

Once again, Luke stared after Jess in disbelief, this time muttering, "And some things do change, after all…"

"Hey, Ror.Can I join you for lunch?"

Rory smiled up at Jess, "Sure. I'm meeting my mom, too, but she's been eager to see you again since I told her we've been talking."

Jess looked at Rory for a second before rolling his eyes.

"And maybe I should eat upstairs…"

"Jess!"

"No, hey. It's fine. I'm sure I'm going to get grilled at some point. I might as well get it over with now."

"Ha Ha. Now sit down."

Just then the bells on the diner door rang and Lorelai came bustling in.

"Luke! Coffee! Please, coffee, now! Ugh, please remind me to never plan another wedding or own another business ever again. Especially at the same time…"

Lorelai smiled as Luke held up a mug and gestured towards the table at the window. Assuming he meant Rory was waiting for her, she turned, ready to start in on the most recent 'Michel harassing a guest' story. She froze, however, when she saw Jess sitting at the table with Rory.

Attempting to replace the look of shock on her face with a smile, Lorelai greeted the two, "Hi, sweetie. Hi, Jess. So, you're back in town already, are you?"

Jess shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair, but did his best to respond civilly.

"Yeah." Remembering that he should probably attempt more than single syllable answers, he continued slowly, "I just got here. Rory said I could eat lunch with her, but if you wanted…"

"No. No, that's fine. Three's company, too, right?" Lorelai joked a bit awkwardly as she took the seat next to Rory.

There were several moments of slightly awkward silence until Luke came over with the girls' coffee and menus for them all to pretend to read.

Once Luke had taken their orders, however, the awkward silence settled in again. Rory glanced back and forth between her mother and Jess, wanting to make the situation more comfortable, but not sure how to do it without putting either Lorelai or Jess on the spot. Jess, deciding for Rory's sake to be brave, finally broke the silence.

"So, Lorelai…how are things…at the inn?"

Lorelai was caught off guard by being asked an actual question by Jess, but also decided for Rory's sake to attempt a civil conversation.

"Good. Things are going well."

Noticing the glare she was getting from Rory, Lorelai decided it would be best to elaborate a bit on her answer.

"Things are hectic, what with planning the wedding and all. Um…Michel did the funniest thing today…Okay, well, it wasn't really funny…especially for the guests he thought were spies from a rival inn in Massachusetts. He kept following them around and tried to confiscate their camera. He was also convinced the man's watch actually held a microphone, so picture him grabbing the man's arm and screaming at his wrist…It was funny…or, like I said, actually not funny…In fact, the police were called, so I guess it wasn't funny at all," Lorelai finished up her story lamely.

"I guess not," Jess replied.

Lorelai racked her brain for something to else to say to Jess. She couldn't let him show her up by being the only one to ask a polite question.

"So, Jess. Rory's told me a little about your book. That's really amazing. You, writing a book…although you always read a lot, maybe even more than Rory, so I guess it's not too surprising. How are things going with that?"

"Umm…it's been going fine."

Noticing Rory's raised eyebrow, Jess also decided it would be best to add more to his response.

"Well, they only printed a run of five hundred, but I got about fifty different bookstores in the tri-state area to carry it."

"Really? Wow, so you had to go around and convince all those bookstores to carry your book?"

"Yeah. A couple were really easy, especially in some of the smaller stores where you could talk directly to the owner. Other stores, though, were a bit of a challenge. I really had to pitch myself to them."

Lorelai couldn't help but be a little impressed by the tenacity and maturity it must have taken for him to get to the point where he was.

"That's really great, Jess. Do you think you'll write again?"

"Well, I already do. Who knows if I'll get another opportunity to publish, but I think I'll always want to write. That book will always be really important to me though. Getting that published, and knowing that other people will read what I've written…it's pretty cool."

"Has the book been selling well?"

"Here and there. A few of the stores ran out of the copies I gave them, and some others haven't sold any at all. I'm actually going to check up on a few of those stores while I'm in the area the next two weeks. I need to make sure they didn't hide me in the self-help section or something," Jess chuckled.

Lorelai actually laughed at that, and she couldn't resist sending Rory a meaningful look. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give the kid another chance. Rory was smiling proudly, not only at Jess' accomplishment, but also at the actual conversation taking place between Lorelai and him. As their food arrived, Rory jumped into the conversation, too. Soon, the three were happily discussing recent events, Rory's classes at Yale, and plans for the rest of the week leading to the wedding. The awkwardness between Lorelai and Jess wasn't completely gone, but as long as they were talking, Rory could live with that for now.

After they finished their meal, Lorelai stood up and announced that she had to get back to the inn to make sure Michel wasn't getting arrested for harassing any more guests. As soon as she was gone, Luke came back to the table.

"Good, I thought she'd never leave. Hey Jess, Lane will be here any minute, but I have to pick up something for Lorelai. She can't know I'm going to pick something up, because if she does she'll harass me to no end to get me to tell her what it is, so will you cover for me for a bit? It's not too busy right now, but we've been getting a weird rush around 2 o'clock on Mondays lately, and I don't want to leave Lane as the lone server if the place is packed."

"No problem, Luke."

Jess looked at Rory expectantly.

"What are you up to this afternoon?"

"I'm going to head over to the Stamford paper and get some work done. With the wedding this Saturday, I really need to get my work done now instead of my usual work days on Thursday and Friday."

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you later?"

Rory surprised Jess with a strong hug as she said quietly in his ear, "Thank you so much for being nice with my mom. I'm so thrilled you guys were actually talking."

Jess tried his best to brush it off, saying "It was nothing. I figured everything would be easier if I keep her from hating me."

Rory could see in Jess' eyes that he was pleased lunch had gone well, and that he was happy to be in Lorelai's good graces, but she decided to let him keep his tough guy wall up for the moment if he wanted to by not calling him on it.

"Rory! Hello?"

Rory turned to see Lane behind her, smiling and shooting curious glances over Rory's shoulder at Jess.

"Hi Jess," Lane called tentatively, before grabbing Rory by the arm and pulling her off the side.

Jess waved slightly, and then turned to start clearing the table they had just eaten at. Lane made sure he was out of earshot before grilling Rory.

"Jess is here? Already? The wedding isn't until Saturday."

"Well, he's here to help out…and visit."

"Visit? Visit who?...you! Jess is here to visit you! Are you guys back together," Lane hissed excitedly, trying to keep her voice down.

"No, yes, kinda. I'm not really sure, actually. I mean, we've been talking on the phone every night for a month now, and he's made it pretty clear he likes me and all that…we're just kind of in a transitional stage right now."

"A transitional stage?"

"Well, yeah. We may talk all the time, but we've only seen each other once before today since we started talking again. We still have a bunch of things to figure out."

Hmmm…okay, I can buy that, I guess. Soo…"

"So, what?"

"So, he's been nice? And not remotely jerk-like, right? Because as your best friend…"

"No, Lane, he's been really wonderful. Amazing even. Please, just give him another chance, for me?"

"If you say so…," Lane responded warily while eying Jess, who was currently taking an order from Kirk at the counter.

"I do! Just be nice, and seriously…I really like him Lane, so I want you two to get along. I have to head to work now, but I'll be sure to see you later or tomorrow or something."

Rory was beginning to wonder how many people she was going to have to convince that Jess wasn't a little hoodlum anymore. She sighed, knowing that in this town, the answer was 'everyone'.

"Okay, just one more thing," Lane lowered her voice conspiratorially, "Lorelai's bachelorette party is still on for Thursday, right?"

"Right, and spread the word carefully. Ms. Patty's at 9. I've gotta go. Bye Lane."

Rory glanced around the diner until she saw Jess. He was headed her way with a to-go cup in his hand.

"Here's some coffee for the road. Good luck at work. I'll see you later." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed back to work.

Rory smiled, took the coffee, and thanked Jess as she headed out the door. Lane watched the whole exchange and Jess as he watched Rory leave, a content smile on his face. She nodded her head in satisfaction, and made up her mind to give Jess another chance, after all.

Later that night, Rory was sitting in her room at home, rereading Anna Karenina for the ninth time. She was having trouble concentrating though, so she pulled out her cell phone to call Jess.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jess."

"What's up?"

"Not much actually. I've justgotten so used to talking to you every night that it feels like I'm missing something if I don't."

"Aww. Well, you do realize that we're in the same town, like, a tenth of a mile away from each other, don't you?"

"Well, yeah…but I like our phone conversations. Besides, I want to hear how your first day back in Stars Hollow went."

"Oh boy. This town is a loony bin for sure. Would you believe that Taylor stormed into the diner when he saw me?"

"He did? Why?"

"Well, he gave me a stern talking-to about how he wouldn't put up with any shenanigans now that I was back in town."

"He didn't!"

"He did. He also wanted to make it perfectly clear that he was watching me, so I shouldn't get any fancy ideas. His words, not mine. I had to kindly remind him that it's been years since I did anything to inspire his wrath, so he should just let me be for now."

"Yikes."

"No, 'yikes' was when Dean came in to get an order for Tom and his guys. You should've seen his face when he saw me behind the counter. He was so rude even Lane stepped in to help get rid of him."

"Oh," Rory commented a bit sadly. She didn't like the idea of Jess seeing Dean.

"What's the matter? I can't tell by your voice you're not too thrilled right now."

"Oh, it's nothing really. It's just weird thinking of you seeing him now. Especially since we're…well, since you know about…ugh, I don't know. It's just weird."

"Hey Ror, don't worry about it too much, okay? I don't like him, I never did, but it doesn't have to be a big deal. If he wants to come in the diner and cause a scene, that's his problem. I have better things to do."

"I get it. I'm sorry he was bothering you though."

"Me too. Anyway, believe it or not, I'm not finished yet."

"You're not?"

"Nope. After Dean left, Kirk inquired as to whether I might need his services as bodyguard while I'm in town. Just in case, of course. Although, I saw Taylor talking to him, so I'm pretty sure the job woulve been baby-sitter and not bodyguard. And, just for good measure, and because the _entire _town needs to get in on harassing me, Babette and Miss Patty came in for coffee and stayed almost two hours, staring at me and talking. It was creepy."

"Awww…wow. Jess, I had no idea the town would do this to you. Well, actually, I had some idea, because this is Stars Hollow, but I'd hoped they would let you off the hook easier."

"Well, it's what you get with a crack-pot town like this."

"I guess."

"But enough about me and my day in this insane asylum masquerading as a town. How was your day?"

"It was nothing special. I went in to the paper, got a little work done. I came home and helped mom with a million details for the wedding. She's freaking out that it's only a few days away…in a good way, but still freaking out."

Rory was silent for a few seconds, and Jess could tell something was on her mind.

"What is it, Ror?"

"Well…it's just that last night, and tonight, I've come home and caught my mom in my room, in her wedding dress, standing in front of the mirror. I mean fully dressed, with shoes and veil and everything."

"Why is she in your room?"

"Because she can hide it from Luke in here."

"Weird."

"Well, no…it's kinda cute actually. It reminds me of a story my grandma told once about how she wore her wedding dress every night for a week before her wedding. It's how she knew she was really in love. I think that story is part of the reason mom realized she wasn't really in love with Max. But now, with Luke…"

"What?"

"It's really happening. He and Mom are so happy together, and Luke is so great, it's just a really nice feeling. You're so lucky to have Luke as family, and now I'm going to also."

"Let's not bring up the fact that after Saturday you and I are going to be related. Cousins, in fact. Too creepy."

"Yeah, in fact, I'd be happy if we never mentioned that again."

"Deal."

"New topic?"

"New topic."

"Lane asked me today if we were together."

"Oh? That type of new topic…"

"Yeah, and I wasn't really sure what to tell her…"

"Oh, really? Well, what did you end up saying?"

"That we were in a transitional period."

"A transitional period?" Jess couldn't help but laugh. "I suppose that's accurate enough."

"Okay, then. But what does it mean? Because I don't really know what that means, even if I'm the one who came up with the term."

Jess paused a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing.

"You like me, right?"

"Yes."

"You know I like you, right?"

"Yes."

"Is there any one else you want to see right now?"

"No!"

"Do you wish there was someone else?"

"What! No, of course not! Jess…"

"…Well, me neither."

"Oh."

"So, let's just keep figuring 'us' out, and not worry so much about exactly what that means. Is that okay with you?"

"So there is an 'us' to figure out?"

Jess smiled a bit sheepishly, and was glad no one was around to see him.

"Yes."

"Okay, I can live with that. For now at least…I am going to…uh, want more, um, definition than that…at some point."

"Me too."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good."

"Have we officially run out of things to say to each other?" Jess teased.

"Ha. No. I guess I'm just tired."

"You should go to sleep then."

"I suppose."

"Goodnight Rory."

"Goodnight Jess."

Rory hung up her phone and crawled underneath her covers, a 'warm and fuzzies' feeling spreading through her at the thought of having an 'us' with Jess. This was a good feeling, a very good feeling indeed.

* * *

More coming soon!

Reviews are like dangled carrots, they inspire me to get moving. So, please, review!


	6. I Said What?

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_luvablemilo:_ I like having Jess, too. Thank you.  
_DevilPup9:_ Yes, they can suck at times, though these two seem to be handling it fine. Here's the next update!  
_Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13:_ Thank you very much! I think it's the details which really make or break a story.  
_lukeandlorealilove:_ Thank you. The carrots work, apparently, since I got out of bed this morning to finish this chapter instead of sleeping 'til all hours of the afternoon.  
_evengeline b:_ Mmm, carrots. Thank you.  
_RogueHoney:_ As much as I love Rory and Jess, I'm trying to round out the story at least a little with details from the other people in her life. I'm glad you liked it.  
_gilmore15girl:_ More Rory/Jess, coming your way. And don't worry, it will happen in the fun way too at some point, heh.  
_Tookie Clothespin:_ Thank you so much! You bet I'll keep writing…  
_Brucasforever:_ Thank you!

**AN: **Here's more! I've actually surprised myself at how much comes out when I sit down to write. I originally pictured Luke and Lorelai's wedding to be about the third or fourth chapter, but, as you can see, other important things just keep popping up. Funny how that happens…Enjoy!

* * *

I Said What? 

Rory woke with a start at a loud crash somewhere nearby. The pounding in her head made her quickly realize that sitting up and opening her eyes was a definite tactical error, so she fell back onto her…wait. Where was she? Not her bed, that was for sure. She shifted around a bit until she recognized the familiar couch. Alright, now she knew she was home and had been sleeping on the couch, but why? She heard another crash, this time realizing it came from the kitchen.

"Mrughluff…"

"Did you say something, hunny?" Lorelai called from the kitchen.

"Wha?…" came a sudden voice from right next to her.

Rory slowly turned her head and opened her eyes to see Lane sprawled out on the floor with a blanket draped over her. As she looked around, she also saw Jess' mother passed out in the armchair. Suddenly, Rory remembered; her mother's bachelorette party had been last night. Rory stood up slowly and made her way to the kitchen. This wasn't the worst hangover she'd ever had, but it definitely warranted coffee and junk food. She was hit with a sudden craving for pancakes, but decided she needed to find out what the crashing in the kitchen was first.

"Hi mom," Rory mumbled as she found her way to the kitchen table.

"Hey there, dollface," Lorelai replied cheerfully.

"What's with the noise?"

"Oh, I'm just packing for the honeymoon and I wanted to see if I could find my funky belt."

"Rhinestones or beads?"

"Beads…I think I hid it in this cupboard somewhere…Oh well."

"Oh…why are Lane and Liz here?"

"Lane wasn't about to go back to Mama Kim's house in the state she was in, and our house is much closer than Liz's, so I kinda let her follow us home."

"Hmmm…Hey, it was your bachelorette party, why are you not in pain this morning?"

"Well, I've learned recently that I'm not as young as I once was, and while you can get up this morning and function, not to mention get up _tomorrow_ and be beautiful, I wasn't going to risk it."

"Aha…"

"It sure was fun though…thank you so much for putting that together!"

"I'm glad you had fun."

"I sure did, I mean Miss Patty singing, Gypsy dancing, you and your little speech..."

That caught Rory's attention.

"Me and my little _what_?"

Lorelai smiled deviously while raising her eyebrows innocently.

"Aw hunny, don't you remember?"

Rory concentrated very hard on last nights events in an effort to recall any sort of speech she might have given. She remembered Jess telling her that TJ was dragging Luke and him out to a bar. She remembered him winking and telling her to have a good time. She remembered conspiring with Lane to get Lorelai to Miss Patty's without her suspecting anything about a party. She remembered the party getting underway with some of Patty's famous punch. She was even pretty sure she remembered Miss Patty singing, Gypsy dancing, Liz telling a story about Jess, and then Miss Patty making a comment about Jess' ass, but…her face widened in horror as she finally remembered what her mother was talking about.

"Aha! See, you do remember…"

"Umm…I think it may have been something along the lines of how Jess not only had a great butt, but he was also amazing and smart…"

Lorelai interrupted, "Actually, I think your exact words were 'He's the most incredible person you'd ever met and you hoped that someday soon you two would take your relationship to the next level, because you've been wondering what he would be like since you were seventeen."

Rory sunk her head down in her arms on the kitchen table.

"I did _not_ say that in front of his mother and the rest of the women of the town, did I?"

"Just be glad grandma wasn't there, sweetie."

Rory's face was burning in embarrassment; she didn't know how she could face the town, or Jess, ever again.

"At least they reacted well," Lorelai suggested supportively.

Rory glared at her mother.

"Hey, I mean Miss Patty cheered and Liz gave you hug and called you a great catch for her little boy…"

"There is something very wrong with this whole situation…"

Lorelai went over to Rory and pulled her into a hug. Then she pulled back a bit so she could look Rory in the eyes.

"You really like him, don't you babe?"

Rory nodded.

"Well then, I want you to be happy. Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Just be careful, and don't rush things, okay? You're just getting your life back on track…"

"He helped…"

"I know he did, hunny, but there are some things you have to figure out for yourself, and I want you to be able to stand on your own two feet, and not necessarily build your life around a guy."

"He doesn't want me to do that…"

"I'm not saying he does, I'm just saying that you two have a better chance of working out if you both know what you want and need out of life first."

"I guess…"

Lorelai put her arm around Rory in a half hug and asked, "Is it time for pancakes, yet?"

Rory began to nod, but then stopped and shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because Jess is out there, along with the rest of the town…Can you imagine how fast word of last night will get around? No way. I'll nurse this hangover with coffee and pop tarts."

"You can't hide forever."

"I can try, though."

"Actually, no you can't, because the wedding rehearsal is tonight at five, followed by the rehearsal dinner at Sniffy's. Sorry kid, but it looks like you're going to have to face up to this one, and soon."

Rory made a face and a small whining noise before getting up to pour herself some coffee.

"Well, I may not be able to hide forever, but I'm going to hide as long as I can. I'm going to take a nice long shower."

She downed her mug of coffee and set off in search of a clean towel.

By the time Rory finished her shower, dried her hair, and threw on some clothes, she was starving. She ransacked the pantry, but found only stale pop tarts and other food that needed to be cooked before consuming – damn Luke and his actual food shopping. Now, Rory had nothing to eat. Taking a quick look around the house, Rory realized that no one was home anymore: not Lorelai, not Lane, not Liz. Returning to the kitchen, Rory saw a note on the kitchen table that she hadn't noticed before.

Rory,

Hiding won't solve anything. At Luke's for lunch. Sure you won't join me?

Lorelai

P.S – I smell snow, so I'm sure something good will come of this.

Rory weighed her options carefully: starve at home, or brave the town to get food. She could kill her mom for leaving her in this situation.

"Fine. She can have it her way," Rory whined in frustration as she went looking for her jacket and purse.

Outside it was cool and overcast, but Rory couldn't quite smell the snow her mother claimed to predict. Her senses, however, were not nearly as honed as Lorelai's, so she couldn't be sure for now.

"So far, so good," Rory muttered as she made her way across the town square.

So far, no one had stopped her to talk, or looked at her funny, or done anything remotely out of the ordinary. She was almost starting to hope that maybe it hadn't actually been a big deal and everyone would just let it slide, but the rest of her knew that wasn't a likely possibility in this town.

Luke's was fairly busy when Rory entered, but she quickly found her seat next to Lorelai and was surprised to find Jess placing a mug of coffee in front of her already. She smiled up at him in quick thanks before turning her concentration to the coffee in front of her.

"From what I've heard of last night, I'm surprised you're even here right now," Jess stated plainly.

Rory hoped the heat rising in her cheeks would be attributed to the hot beverage in front of her, and she tried her best to find her voice so she could respond.

"Oh? And what did you hear about last night?"

"Actually, I just figured that with Miss Patty's punch things must've gotten kinda crazy. Plus, you're looking a little like you're in desperate need of hangover food."

Rory relaxed a little as she realized he hadn't heard any details, yet.

"Although…"

Rory's heart nearly stopped until Jess continued.

"As much as I want to attribute it to the inherent craziness of this town, people sure have been acting weird this morning."

"Weird? How?"

"Well, I'm used to Babette and Miss Patty coming in and whispering while staring at me, but today, I swear Patty was wiggling her eyebrows at me. Lane stopped in too, and she could barely look me in the eye without blushing. And do you have any idea why my mom would come in here, pinch my cheeks, and tell me 'what a lucky boy' I am?"

Rory nearly choked on her coffee, and Jess leaned in to finish his comment.

"Not only that, but even Gypsy came in and made what sounded like a suggestive comment, but, I mean, it's Gypsy, right? And Sookie stopped in and couldn't stop giggling the entire time she was in here. I swear I should have this whole town committed."

Rory wished the ground would swallow her whole at that very moment.

The only words she could squeak out were, "Huh, weird."

"Yeah, I guess. So, did you want to order anything?"

"Ummm…pancakes, please, and mashed potatoes…oh, and applesauce…"

As Jess rolled his eyes at her order and walked off, Rory's head once again sunk into her arms on the table. Lorelai reached over to rub a comforting hand on her arm.

"That wasn't too bad hunny, he's chalking it up to the town being crazy. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Yeah, sure…"

At that moment, the bells on the diner door rang again, and Rory looked up to see Liz coming in. Once again, Rory could feel the heat rising her cheeks as she suddenly became intensely interested in a small nick in the surface of the table in front of her. Liz, however, apparently didn't embarrass easily.

"Rory!" she cried out as she crossed the diner and pulled her into a hug.

"How are you this morning, cutie-pie?"

Rory squirmed a little in her seat at the attention she was receiving.

"Umm…I'm okay…"

Jess came over looking a little disturbed at how his mother was acting with Rory.

"Weren't you already here this morning?"

"That was just to stop by and say hello. I went home to get TJ, but wouldn't you know, he's still passed out. You boys must've had a real good time last night," Liz said as she winked suggestively and gave Rory a knowing look, "I know us girls did."

Jess rolled his eyes again, and said dripping with fake sincerity, "Sure, we had a real blast. It's a darn shame Jackson stayed home with the kids and had to miss out."

Liz rolled her eyes at Jess' sarcasm.

"Fine, be that way. We don't have to tell him the fun things we talked about last night, do we Rory?" Liz suggested teasingly.

Rory absolutely wanted to disappear at that moment, but she tried to manage a weak smile as she choked out, "No, I don't think we do."

Jess shot a perplexed look back and forth between Rory and his mother. He looked to Lorelai for some explanation, but she just shrugged her shoulders and sipped her coffee

"Well, it's about time I got something to eat," Liz said suddenly.

She stood up and headed over to the counter, where Luke was clearing plates and serving customers, leaving a very confused Jess at the table with Rory and Lorelai. Rory was refusing to make eye contact with him, which made him even more curious.

"Okay, seriously, I feel like I missed something here. You wanna tell what's going on here, Rory?"

"Ummm…Not particularly."

He shot her a questioning look and asked, "So there is something going on I should know about?"

Rory sighed heavily, "How about you let me eat breakfast first, and I'll tell you all about it later, okay?"

Jess nodded slowly, and went back to serving customers, giving Rory a long lingering look as he walked away. Rory looked at her mother, helplessly.

"What are the chances I'll get struck by lightning before I finish eating?"

Lorelai paused to look out the window and check the sky before answering.

"Slim to none, kid. Look at the bright side though; if you tell him, you don't have to worry about him finding out some crazy exaggerated story from anyone else."

Rory let out another sigh; she wasn't exactly looking forward to this conversation.

An hour later, Rory had finished eating, Jess had taken his break, and the two were walking towards the bridge. Rory was still unsure what to say, so she waited for Jess to speak first.

"So, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm doing better now; the food really helped, and I took a couple aspirin before I left the house."

"That's good"

"Yeah…how was your night?"

"Eh, TJ got really drunk, but it wasn't too bad hanging out with Luke."

That's nice."

"Yeah"

They walked in silence again for a minute or two as they came to the bridge and sat down.

"So, do you wanna tell me why everyone is acting so strange?"

"It's really embarrassing."

Jess took the opportunity to scoot closer to Rory and take her hand.

"C'mon Ror, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Rory nodded and began slowly, "Well, last night, we all went to Miss Patty's…everyone was having a great time. Anyway, I guess I still haven't learned my lesson about Miss Patty's punch, either."

"What happened?"

"Well, someone mentioned something about Valentine's Day, and I said that I had been having a really bad Valentine's Day until you made it better by being my Valentine."

Jess smiled a little and squeezed her hand, giving Rory a bit of courage to continue.

"Then, your mom told a story about a Valentine you made for her when you were seven…I guess she still has it. Anyway, then she said how proud she was of how you turned out, and how she thought that sending you to Luke's was the best decision she'd ever made."

Jess sighed a little at the memory of that Valentine, one of the last times he'd really still thought of Liz as 'mom'. Not too long after that, she'd married her second husband, and things had never been the same. He also couldn't help but shake his head a little at the thought of her decision to send him to Stars Hollow. He'd hated her for it at the time, but sitting here on the bridge with Rory, holding her hand, he couldn't help but be a little grateful for Liz sending him away.

"I still don't get how this is embarrassing, for you, at least…"

"I'm getting there…So, then Miss Patty made a comment about the town missing a fine addition if you hadn't been here, in terms of her having better eye candy…"

"Ah, jeeze…"

"Yeah, sorry about that…though she swears you have a better looking butt that all but two of her husbands."

"Ugh, Rory!"

"Hehe, sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Again, still not seeing how this is embarrassing for _you_."

"Well, I guess the punch must've really kicked in by then, because then _I_ made a comment about your butt."

Jess raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Oh, did you?"

"Yes, I did…but then…I…"

"You what, Rory?"

"I kept going."

"Oh?"

"And I may have possibly suggested that I…find many of your…attributes…pleasing. I may have then…ugh…I can't say it…"

"Sure you can!" Jess encouraged her.

He was really curious now. Rory stopped, glanced at him and then looked away to stare off into space.

"I may have said that I was looking forward to…ahem, being with you…because I may possibly have been wondering what it would be like with you since we were seventeen," Rory finished quickly.

Jess, try as he might, could not suppress the smirk on his face or the chuckle rising in his throat at this revelation. He leaned in close so he could talk quietly in her ear.

"So, you've been wondering have you?"

Rory pulled back and shot him a withering glance before giving in just a little and letting a very small smirk find its way to her face.

"Maybe. I kinda wish I hadn't announced it to the whole town and both of our mothers though."

"Who cares what the town thinks! And Liz was clearly thrilled at the prospect, so I don't think you should be too concerned with her. What did Lorelai say?"

"That she wants me to be happy. Although, she also hopes we don't rush into anything because I'm just getting back on track and she wants me to feel capable of independence."

"I want that too, you know."

"Yeah, that's what I said. She didn't doubt it, either, she just suggested that we have the best chance of…uh, working out…if we both know what we want and need first."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I agree completely with Lorelai."

"You do?"

"Well sure, I mean, do you know what you want? I know you want journalism, but do you still want to be an international correspondent? That's a choice which would have a pretty serious effect on our, uh, future together, were we to decide to have a future. I mean, I had you to give me several pretty firm wake up calls in the last three years, so I've had a good amount of time to really be thinking about what it is I want to do with my life. You got your kick in the ass pretty recently; you deserve some time to think, too."

"I already have thought about it, I've been thinking about it for almost a year now."

"Well, yes, but have you come up with any answers?"

"Umm…well, sort of. I know for sure I want to be a journalist. I'm going to put myself out there, win or lose, but I think I have a real chance of succeeding."

"I do, too."

Rory paused to appreciate his sincere confidence for a moment before continuing.

"Although, I guess I still don't know for sure whether I want to be an international correspondent. I know I still want to travel and see the world, but I'm starting to really appreciate what it means to have a home and roots. I think I would feel like I was missing out on something if I were on the road all the time, and that makes me question whether or not it's something I really want.

"Okay then, again, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Lorelai may have a small point here."

"I guess she might…"

They sat for a few moments in silence, enjoying each other's company.

"Well, I think this was a highly productive conversation," Jess said as he began to stand up.

Rory smiled as he helped her up and they began walking hand in hand back to the diner.

He leaned in again to whisper in her ear, "Now I know I'm not the only one who's been wondering for years."

Rory blushed and kept walking, trying her best to suppress the giddy feeling rising inside her. When they reached the town square, she stopped suddenly, bringing him to a surprised halt next to her. She was looking around curiously, but when he was about to ask her what was the matter, she held her finger up to quiet him. After a moment, he noticed a small smile spreading on her face, and when he looked up, he realized there were flakes of snow falling from the sky.

"Snow?" he asked.

"Snow. Snow is always a good sign," she assured him, and she took his hand and began leading him back to the diner.

**

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**

**AN: **More tonight? I hope...

Reviews are love, thank you very much.


	7. Twas the Night Before

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_LitGG1982:_ Thanks so much! No worries about not reviewing the last chapter, anything you give me is highly appreciated; your reviews are wonderful.  
_RogueHoney:_ Thank you, I'm trying not to rush, but it's hard. When I'm writing, I want you guys to be able to read it ASAP because I'm really happy with how this is going.  
_Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13:_ Thank you, I'm glad it was funny.  
_Cila:_ I know! Jess and Lorelai agreeing must be a sign of the apocalypse…or me trying to make a happy family…choose whichever you prefer. (And yum, I love chocolate cake!)  
_petitos grasshoppertje:_ Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that it was actually funny; I was hoping it wasn't just in my head, lol.  
_amythestpony:_ Here's more!  
_Tookie Clothespin:_ Thank you! Here's more.  
_luvablemilo:_ Thanks so much, this one should whet your appetite for Jess. There's more down that road to come…  
_DevilPup9:_ Thank you, again, I'm glad it was actually funny! I figured that it never seemed like Jess hated Liz or anything, but they certainly don't have a typical mother/son relationship, so I made it as much as I could like a relationship two people like them might have.  
_xh4z3L3y3sx:_ I have a secret I'm going to tell you…shh...ready?...I'm a sucker for fluff. Hehe. That you for your reminder, after all the old Jess is the one we all fell in love with, right?  
_just hidden:_ She would, wouldn't she? At least I thought it would make things interesting…Yeah, Kirk probably should have been following someone around somewhere, but he's actually kind of hard to write, so I forget about him sometimes! Oops!  
_LoVeIsTrUsT:_ Thank you! And, I am. Every review I get makes me squeal with delight. (Seriously, I had to explain to my dad what I was doing on the computer, hehe)

**AN: **I just want to start off by saying 'Wow' and 'Thank you' to all the reviewers. That section just keeps growing every chapter and that gives me the 'warm and fuzzies' inside. Again, this sort of just came out when I sat down to write, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I surprised myself because I actually made myself cry at one point; I wonder if you'll be able to tell which?

* * *

'Twas the Night Before… 

It was four forty-five in the afternoon and Rory stood inside the cozy Stars Hollow Meeting house, which served as both church and synagogue for the local people. For the time being, it was the rehearsal space for tomorrow's long anticipated wedding of Luke and Lorelai. Outside, there were still some flurries falling on a fresh layer of snow, and the people involved in the wedding were beginning to arrive. Lorelai and Luke were already in the back, speaking with the minister. Rory watched them contentedly, her thoughts drifting to how her life was going to change in the next twenty-four hours. Sure, she didn't really live at home anymore, and having Luke around wasn't exactly new, but she thought it was nice to know what she would have to come home to, if she ever needed it. Her thoughts were interrupted by an arm snaking around her waist and pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"Hello Rory."

"Jess! You startled me."

"Didn't mean to," Jess claimed innocently.

"Sure you didn't…"

"Rory!"

Rory and Jess flew apart at the sound of her grandmother's voice.

"Hello Grandma, Hello Grandpa," Rory greeted nervously.

Things with her grandparents had been tense since she moved out, and since she informed them that her father would be paying for her tuition from now on. The low point had come when Rory paid back what she already owed them in tuition for Yale, also with money from Christopher. They had not reacted well to an end to her Friday night dinner obligations, but she had in fact forced their hand into being polite by subtly suggesting that if they wanted voluntary dinners they had better not burn any bridges. She and her mother were in the process of slowly rebuilding a relationship with them, but it was an arduous process. It had taken both Luke and Rory's encouragement to get Lorelai to invite them to the wedding at all, saying that she would someday regret not having them there if she cut them out. Lorelai had expressed serious doubts about the matter, but gave in and invited them anyway.

Now, her grandmother was standing in the church, staring Jess down like he was about to steal a collection basket, while her grandfather was sizing him up curiously.

"Grandma, Grandpa, I'd like you to meet Jess, Luke's nephew. Jess, you remember my Grandmother, and this is my Grandfather. Grandma, you remember Jess from when I knew him in high school, right? He, uh, came over for dinner once."

"Oh yes, and what a pleasant experience that was."

She turned to Jess and looked him up and down.

"I assume you've been more careful about avoiding black eyes, recently?"

Jess shifted uncomfortably under her hard stare, but decided he wasn't going to let her get the best of him.

He stuck out his hand and offered, "That night was…unfortunate. I guess I wasn't up to making a very good impression back then."

Emily attempted to repress a sneer as she half-heartedly accepted his hand. Hoping to make some progress, Jess turned to Rory's grandfather and again offered his hand.

"Hi."

Richard regarded Jess for a moment and then took his hand and shook it.

"Hello, young man."

"Grandpa, would you believe that Jess reads even more than I do?"

Richard raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, my dear, I didn't think that was possible. Tell me, uh, Jess was it? What do you do with yourself? Are you in school?"

Again, Jess could feel himself wanting to squirm under the scrutiny of both Rory's grandparents' gazes, but he struggled to keep himself composed.

"No, actually, I'm not in school. I work at a small publishing company in Philadelphia."

"Not in school? Just what exactly do you plan on doing with yourself without an education?"

Jess found himself bristling at the judgmental comment, but he swallowed his irritation as best he could.

"I've gotten a better education from the books I've read than I could ever get in a school. It suits my needs."

Jess was trying his best to be civil, but these people really brought out the worst in him. Richard scoffed a bit at Jess' brash disregard for the merits of attending an accredited school, but was interrupted by Rory before he could continue.

"Jess writes, Grandpa."

Jess shot Rory a look that screamed 'Stop helping me!'

"You write? What did you write?" Richard asked, barely concealing the skepticism in his voice.

"A book."

Rory shot Jess a glare, but he just stared back.

"A book? What sort of book? I can't imagine…"

Noticing Rory was starting to get really upset, Jess decided he should swallow his pride and tell Richard a little bit about his book.

Interrupting Richard, Jess explained, "I wrote a short novel that got noticed by the publishing company I now work for. They printed five hundred copies on an author-promoted basis, which means I was responsible getting the book into stores. There's no money in it, but it's been a great experience."

Richard seemed to consider this for a moment, but was interrupted again before he could actually respond. Everyone had arrived and the minister wanted to start the rehearsal.

As Richard and Emily walked away to be introduced to the others there they didn't know, Jess turned to Rory to speak with her in a hushed voice.

"C'mon, Rory! What were you trying to do to me there?"

"I was just trying to help," Rory responded a bit too defensively, "And you should be proud of your writing."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Hey, don't go all mono-syllabic on me now."

"Fine. You want to know what's wrong? I really don't like giving people the chance to belittle me, and you're just throwing it out there, practically asking for it."

"Hey! I didn't know he'd react that way. I didn't think you would mind. Grandpa loves books; I thought…I don't know what I thought! Sorry for mentioning it at all. Happy?"

Rory began to walk away to where her mother was standing, but Jess realized the situation had gotten blown way out of proportion, so he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Hey now, get back here," he said soothingly, "What just happened?"

Rory frowned and considered it for a moment.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted.

"I don't want to fight."

"Well, I don't want to fight either."

"Then why are we fighting?"

"I don't know…I really was just trying to help," Rory said apologetically.

"I know. I'm sorry for being sensitive about my writing. It's just that, it means a lot to me, and I don't share things that mean a lot to me with just anyone."

"I know…" Rory twisted her hands together nervously. "Are you mad I told them?"

"No," he conceded, "I'm just not used to people bragging about me. Not much experience with that in my life."

"Hey…"

"What? It's true. C'mon, they're waiting for us so they can begin."

He took her hand and squeezed it, and she squeezed back in an unspoken agreement that their little fight was over.

And with that, Jess led Rory to the front where the minister was explaining the different roles and procedures they would each be responsible for. Richard, Emily, and Liz were not in the wedding per se, but as immediate family they were attending the rehearsal and the dinner afterwards. Things got off to a smooth start once Sookie was able to start controlling her giggling around Jess, the reason for which only Lorelai, Liz, Rory, and Jess understood.

As Best Man and Maid-of-honor, respectively, Jess got to escort Rory up the aisle and stand directly across from her during the ceremony. He found his eyes drawn to her constantly, and she made it easy to watch her without being noticed because she herself was busy watching Lorelai and Luke. He loved how happy she seemed; there was a sparkle in her eye and a lightness of heart that hadn't been there when he saw her four months ago. He was so consumed with watching her that he didn't even notice TJ making a fool of himself as head usher, or the fact that he himself was being watched carefully by Richard.

Before he knew it, the rehearsal was over and they were all piling into cars to go to Sniffy's for the rehearsal dinner. Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Jess, Sookie, Jackson, Liz, TJ, Richard, and Emily were soon at the homey tavern being seated by Maisy and Buddy. The old couple was generously expressing their happiness about the coming wedding and their fondness for Luke. Jess couldn't help but laugh a little when Emily pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her chair and Maisy put Emily in her place with a quick but light jab about her fancy outfit messing up the well-worn furniture. It was a good feeling to see that woman get flustered for once.

As the night wound down Jess noticed Richard watching him for the third time, and he nudged Rory and whispered in her ear to let her know. Rory shrugged her shoulders, but stood up to see if she could find out what was going on.

"Hi, Grandpa. Could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, Rory, is anything the matter?"

"No, no, there shouldn't be," Rory said as she waited for her Grandfather to stand so they could find a place to talk.

"Well, what would you like to talk to me about?" Richard asked as they found a secluded corner.

"I've just noticed that you've been quiet during dinner, and I couldn't help but notice you watching Jess."

"Well, yes, Rory. I am a little surprised by the attitude you allow him."

"Attitude?"

"Yes, the way he's always watching you, I swear he hasn't taken his eyes off of you for longer than ten seconds the entire night."

Rory blushed when she realized her Grandfather was right about the amount of attention Jess paid her, but, unlike him, she was pleased about it.

"Yes, Grandpa? Is there a problem with that?'

"Well, are you dating him now? I was disappointed to hear things weren't going well with Logan, but I hardly thought there would already be someone else in the picture."

Rory did her best to resist being indignant that he would dare bring Logan up and to snuff that conversation topic as quickly as possible.

"Logan and I are no longer together. It was a mutual decision, and I'd rather not bring him into this."

"It's just that this Jess seems to be very serious about you, and that concerns me."

"Jess and I are…well, I'm not sure exactly what we are right now. We are dating – sort of, but I wouldn't say we're serious. Why would you say that he seems serious?"

"Don't you notice all the little attentions he pays you? Sitting next to that boorish man TJ so you didn't have to, calling the waiter over to refill your water while you were deep in conversation with Lorelai, giving you his unused fork when you dropped yours so you didn't have to wait for a new one, and he kept the waiter from removing your plate before you were finished while you were in the ladies' room."

"He was being nice, grandpa."

"Oh? Are you sure that's it? That's all he wants? How well do you know him?"

"I've known him since high school, grandpa," Rory practically snapped, no longer able to completely refrain from being indignant at his accusations.

"Well, yes, but from your grandmother's stories that doesn't seem to be a very high recommendation. I thought he was the one that ran off without saying goodbye?"

Rory was practically fuming now, though she tried to keep her cool for Lorelai and Luke's sake. The last thing they needed was a family blow-out the night before the wedding. Keeping her voice as even as possible, Rory attempted to level with Richard.

"Listen, Jess may have made some mistakes in the past, but it's my decision whether or not to forgive him, and I have. He's made it perfectly clear through his words and actions that he is a different man now, and I would like for you to accept that. I also ask you to accept the fact that he's not in school and that he doesn't have the 'good breeding' or fancy job you expect, and to consider this:" Rory continued with a pointed look at her grandfather, "Jess is the one who convinced me to return to Yale. Not Mom, not you, not Logan. He was able to get through to me in a way no one else could, so maybe you should refrain from passing judgment so quickly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back for dessert."

Richard's face had softened somewhat at the mention of Rory returning to Yale, but with the end of her speech, Rory spun on her heel and marched back to the table, leaving Richard somewhat dumbfounded.

"Is everything okay?" Jess asked when he noticed Rory's agitation as she resumed her seat next to him.

"Fine. Everything's fine," she said with slight exasperation.

Jess stroked her fingers with his thumb and then kissed her hand, reassuring her that he was there for her. Rory smiled slightly, and then grinned when he leaned in to suggest they order dessert. Richard was once more watching the young couple, but this time he was trying his best to appreciate the fact that Jess seemed to genuinely care Rory. He wasn't exactly pleased, but it would have to do for now.

The group finished their dessert and said their goodbyes, wishing each other well until tomorrow morning. Luke, Lorelai, Jess and Rory were the last ones left, saying goodbye to Buddy and Maisy, who had insisted that the meal for the group was on the house. Luke and Lorelai had protested fiercely, but Maisy finally won them over.

"It's usually the parents of the groom who are responsible for the rehearsal dinner," she said, "It's the least we can do. Your mother would've wanted it this way, Luke."

Luke had immediately given in to that argument, and it brought tears to Rory's eyes to see him so touched by their thoughtfulness.

"You big softie," Jess whispered in her ear as he approached her from behind and put an arm around her waist.

"Shush, you. It's really sweet of them to offer like that."

"I never said it wasn't," Jess replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Tonight was nice…except for grandpa acting all weird towards you…everything else was really nice."

They stood together for a few moments watching Luke and Lorelai say goodbye for the evening. Luke would be accompanying Jess back to the diner apartment for the night so as not to mess with the wedding gods and break the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding.

"You know how Sookie said tonight that it was too bad it took Luke and Lorelai so long to get together?"

Rory hummed her affirmation.

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe it's not actually so bad."

Rory turned her head to look up at Jess questioningly.

"Well, what if, they _had_ to go through all that, so that they would be ready for each other?"

"You believe in fate now, Jess?" she chuckled.

"Not exactly, it's just that…I don't know, maybe they'll be better off for all they went through to get together."

"It's a nice thought."

"It reminds me of us," he said suddenly after a few moments of silence.

This surprised Rory, and she turned around to face him. He had a sheepish grin on his face, and he leaned in to talk in her ear again.

"I don't know…it's just that, obviously there've been a lot of times since we've known each other that we weren't ready for each other. In fact, I think that until now, there hasn't been a time where both of us were actually ready…at least to have…what I hope we can have soon…"

She could feel his breath tickling her neck as their cheeks brushed against each other. They were both slowly pulling back, brushing their faces together, not wanting to rush the moment. She felt his arm tighten around her waist to pull her body closer to his. Finally, their foreheads rested together and their noses bumped slightly as he leaned in.

"Rory! Let's go! I need to get my beauty rest so I can be a beautiful bride tomorrow," Lorelai called cheekily.

The moment gone, Rory collapsed with a groan and a giggle into Jess' shoulder.

"So much for that idea," he sighed.

She gave him a small hug and whispered, "You just keep thinking what you're thinking."

Jess sighed, "Again, it's not like I have a choice."

They went their separate ways, Jess with Luke and Rory with Lorelai, but both couldn't quite erase from their senses the feeling of having the other so close.

Lorelai had gone straight to bed upon getting home, but Rory lay staring at her ceiling. She had too many things on her mind to fall asleep at the moment. First was the moment with Jess outside Sniffy's. At the mere thought of what had almost happened her neck would tickle from the memory of his breath on her skin.

As easy as it was for thoughts of Jess to fill her mind, he wasn't the only person she was thinking of. Rory couldn't help but think that this was she and Lorelai's last night together, just the two of them, as it had been her entire life. As of tomorrow morning, she would have Luke as a step-father, and her mom would finally get the whole package she'd yearned for, for so many years. It was a bittersweet realization for Rory that the fearsome twosome she and her mother had formed for so many years would never really be back. Their relationship had changed a long time ago, but the addition of Luke to the mix was like a final confirmation that they could never go back to the way they were, two girls who were each other's entire world, who relied on each other for everything, and had nothing without each other.

Just as those thoughts were starting to weigh heavily on Rory, she heard her door creak open and sensed Lorelai approaching her bed.

"Hey kid. You asleep?"

"No."

"Me neither."

Rory scooted over and her mother quickly crawled under the covers with her.

"We had some good times, just you and me didn't we, kid?"

Rory snuggled closer to her mom and fought back the tears that were stinging her eyes.

"I'm so happy for you, mom. I really am. I just can't believe how much everything has changed."

"Me too, Rory. I'm so excited for tomorrow, and I'm so sure that marrying Luke is the right thing, but I can't help but be a little sad. It's like the end of an era for us."

"I was just thinking the same thing."

"It's not even that it's really changing things, it more like the final proof that things already have changed."

Rory sniffled, "You read my mind."

After lying silently for a few moments, Lorelai continued.

"You're still my world, Rory. I was lost without you."

"Not as lost as I was without you."

"I love you, kid."

"I love you, too, Mom."

With that, both Gilmore girls snuggled further under the covers and drifted off to sleep, comforted that, even though things would never be the same, they still had each other after all.

**

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AN: **I'm hoping to at least get through Luke and Lorelai's wedding before I go back to school (phooey!). Don't worry, school won't mean no more writing, it'll just mean I'll be writing instead of doing work that I'm supposed to, heheh. 


	8. The Day of the Wedding

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_xh4z3L3y3sx_ – As much as I'd love to screw school, graduating will be nice too, lol. Here's another fluffy chapter…  
_petitos grasshoppertje _– Thank you! I was going for that…  
_evangeline b _– hehe. Him? Never…  
_LitGG1982_ – Thank you so much for another great review. I try to make relationships/interactions as realistic as possible, so I'm glad it seems to be working!  
_gilmore15girl_ – I have a feeling you'll like this chapter, particularly the entire second half.  
_Tookie Clothespin_ – Thank you! BTW, I answer the whole crying thing in the AN below…  
_Luvablemilo_ – Thank you! I think my thing may be for Milo, too…  
_LorLukealways_ – I'm so happy the last part was as moving as I'd hoped it would be.  
_DevilPup9_ – Thanks! Heh, the grandparents will ALWAYS cause tension, but that's okay since it makes for stories!  
_Amythestpony_ – Perhaps you will enjoy this chapter?  
_Gilmoreaddict_ – Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your praise means a lot to me.  
_Mirax Corran_ – Jess definitely has it in him. If ASP (and perhaps Milo) don't have time to develop it, than I'll take a stab at it!  
_Neurotic Newt_ – Thank you! I love drawing parallels in Gilmore Girls, because the show is jam-packed with them. Here's more!  
_RogueHoney_ – I hope I managed to strike a balance between exposition and dialogue with the wedding. I didn't want to lose the conversations, since they've been important thus far in the story.  
_Sanfrangiantsfan_ – Thank you! Now that Rory's got a backbone again, I figured she should show it.  
_IloveJoeL._ – Thanks. I think you'll like this chapter.  
_Orangefish018_ – Thank you. I'm trying to find a good balance with my words, but if I'm not careful I can get a little carried away! We'll see about the updates, I'm enjoying it right now, even if I have other things coming up…  
_Lunatic Lorenzio_ – Thank you so much!

**AN:** So much for updating before I went back to school. I apologize for that; I really had planned on getting this done earlier. Oh well, I made this chapter nice and fluffy, so hopefully you'll forgive me. I'll do my best to update again soon, but I can't promise exactly when until I get more into the rhythm of how this term is going to go. (I'm here for one month and the only thing I'm doing is working on my senior thesis, so yes, only one thing, but one big important thing.)  
By the way, the part that brought tears to my eyes in the last chapter was the line "they could never go back to the way they were, two girls who were each other's entire world…" I think it was because as I wrote it (and I swear my fingers typed it without my knowledge), I had this image in my head of a young Lorelai and a toddler Rory, playing together in the potting shed. It struck me how lonely it would have been if they hadn't bonded so much. I don't know, it was really bittersweet or something…but enough of that, and on to a happy, fluffy chapter…

* * *

The Day of the Wedding

Rory's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright in bed. The sudden motion elicited a moan from Lorelai, who first tried to huddle further under the covers before she, too, sat up quickly. Both women turned to look at the other.

"It's your wedding day, mom!"

"Yes, it is!" Lorelai said with a big smile.

After a moment her face fell and she jumped out of bed.

"Oh my God, Oh my God! Rory! I'll never be ready in time! There's so much I have to do..."

By this point, Lorelai was up, and frantically dashing from place to place around their downstairs.

"Calm down, mom! We talked about this all week, remember? You have plenty of time to…"

Realizing that Lorelai was not listening to her, Rory took to chasing her mother down and trying to help her get ready. Soon enough, Sookie arrived to help, or more like hinder, the process. She certainly didn't have a calming effect on Lorelai, and Rory found herself trying to quiet both of them down. The whole morning went like that, with Rory's first chance for a break a short moment to brew coffee while Lorelai was in the shower and Sookie was upstairs. As she sat in the kitchen listening to the familiar sounds and smells of coffee percolating, her thoughts drifted back to the night before outside the restaurant, and Jess' breath on her neck.

"Damn, I wish we hadn't been interrupted…" Rory muttered under her breath

As much as she was lamenting the missed opportunity, part of her thought it might be a good thing she hadn't kissed Jess last night. She had a feeling that once she started, it was going to be pretty damn hard to stop. That thought brought a smirk to her face, but once again, she was interrupted, this time by the doorbell.

"I got it!" she yelled, although she was pretty sure her mother was still in the shower and Sookie was too distracted to care.

She ran to the door and opened it, surprised to find Jess standing there loaded down with bags. Neither one spoke for moment when they saw each other. Finally, Jess managed to find his voice.

"Hi."

"What's all this?"

"Luke wanted to make sure your mom ate something."

"Aww, that's sweet of him…I doubt she'll have anything but coffee, but…"

Rory trailed off as she found herself distracted by Jess' presence. That part of her from before who thought it might be a good thing she hadn't kissed him yet, now wanted her to tackle him, right then and there.

"Uhh Rory…could I maybe come in? This stuff is heavy."

Rory shook herself back to the present moment and stepped aside for him to pass.

"Oh! Sorry, yeah. Come on in."

Jess brushed past Rory in the entryway to place the food on the kitchen table. The shoulder that had touched her as he passed was practically burning with the sensation of being near her. When he turned around, she was standing in the doorway to the living room, watching him. Their eyes locked and they both froze for few seconds, holding each other's gaze. There was something in her eyes that made Jess want to take her right there, damn the fact he'd promised himself he wouldn't, damn the fact this was her mother's house, damn the fact it was her mother's wedding day, damn everything and anything that didn't tell them they should be together, right then.

"I smell coffee!" Lorelai yelled as she bounded down the stairs, her hair up in a towel, followed closely by an overly excited Sookie.

Now it was Jess' turn to shake himself back to reality.

"Oh, hi Jess," Lorelai greeted him, though she was a little confused to see him standing in the kitchen.

"Luke wanted to make sure you ate something," Jess explained as he desperately tried to keep his eyes off Rory.

Lorelai began digging through the bags of food.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly eat anything right now, I'm way too...ooo, is that French toast? Yummy. C'mon Rory, Sookie, let's eat."

Rory just stood rooted to the spot she was in because she wasn't sure how she was going to get by Jess and into the kitchen. His presence was palpable to her, and it seemed as if he was actually taking up the entire space of the doorway.

"Uhh…I'd better get back," Jess muttered to no one in particular as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders.

He walked back towards the front door, shooting Rory a sly smile as he passed her again. With that, he was gone, and Rory was left weak in the knees and wishing he was there to hold her up.

The rest of the morning passed by in a blur; somehow, everything that needed to get done had gotten done, everyone who needed to be at the church was there, and everything and everyone that needed to be ready was ready. Rory had vague memories of saying goodbye to her mom right before the ceremony, giving Luke a hug of encouragement, and of Kirk taking candid photos of all the preparations, but the first thing she was concretely aware of was Jess taking her arm and leading her down the aisle.

"I can't believe this is really happening," she whispered to him as they began walking, and he squeezed her hand in response.

Before she knew it, everyone was in their place and the crowd was standing, waiting for Lorelai's entrance. Rory's breath caught in her throat as she saw her mom enter, looking radiant and perfect in her dress. She couldn't help but turn to see Luke's face, whose eyes were trained on her mother in awe. This brought on a flashback of the daydream she'd had in the dress store, and her eyes unconsciously flickered over to Jess' face. He was actually smiling, and she saw him watching her out of the corner of his eye.

The minister began, "Friends, we are gathered here today…" and so on, but Rory barely heard him.

During the rehearsal Rory had been captivated by Luke and her mother standing on the alter together, but now that the actual ceremony was taking place, she found herself acutely aware of Jess' presence on the alter with her. She caught his eyes once, felt her cheeks flush, and glanced away quickly. She couldn't resist glancing back again, only to find him still watching her. Before long, she found herself staring directly at him, and he responded by staring back. At last, the culmination of the ceremony arrived, and as Luke and Lorelai said their 'I do's Rory lost herself in Jess' eyes.

The minister interrupted her reverie with, "…I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride."

Rory was snapped from her trance-like state in time to watch Luke pull Lorelai to him and kiss her with what seemed like his entire being. The joyous music began playing, and Luke took Lorelai's hand to walk her down the aisle. Jess stepped forward to escort Rory and when he touched her arm she felt as if she would melt and catch fire at the same instant. Everyone's eyes were still on them as they completed their walkup the aisle, so Rory tried her best to keep her composure. He leaned over to speak to her, and once more she could feel his breath tickling her neck.

"Later."

His voice was strained, and Rory had a passing query as to exactly how much trouble she would cause if she made 'later' 'right now' instead. Of course, there were too many things going on for that thought to last too long: there was a greeting line to stand in, pictures to take, friends and neighbors engage in polite small talk with, et cetera. By the time the business at the church was settled, it was time to head to Miss Patty's, which had been turned into a reception hall for the afternoon. Rory had hoped to steal a moment with Jess when they arrived, but Sookie instantly claimed her attention, and before she knew it, the reception was in full swing.

The entire night flew by in a whirlwind of music, dancing, laughter, and food. As much as Rory was looking to find a moment away from the crowd with Jess, she was hesitant to get herself into a repeat of the situation at her grandparents vow renewal. She settled on coercing Jess to dance, reveling in her success after the effort it took to get him to participate. After quite a few hours, people began to say their goodbyes, and Rory found a table to rest at.

"You look tired," Jess said as he sat down next to her.

"Exhausted! I cannot believe how long today has been."

He chuckled before responding in a teasing manner, "Dancing like you did to the the Chicken Dance, the Macarena, and Cotton Eye Joe…it's not surprising."

"It was fun. You're just a party pooper, insisting on sitting out on the sidelines."

"Hey. We agreed; I slow danced, so you don't get to bug me about the rest of that stuff."

"I'm just saying…"

"Yeah, yeah. It was more fun to watch you anyway," Jess said with a smirk.

Rory reached out to gently smack his arm, but he grabbed her hand before she got the chance.

"So…how long are we required to stay, actually?"

"Um, I don't know. I guess I don't want to leave until mom and Luke leave, which may not be too long from now since…"

Rory was interrupted at that moment by Lorelai and Luke joining them at the table.

"Hey hunny, I think Luke and I are going to leave now. Head back to the inn. Get started on the fun part of celebrating a wedding."

"…and that's why…eww, gross mom."

"Sorry, kid, facts of life."

Lorelai teased and shrugged her shoulders before everyone stood to say their goodbyes for the night.

As Rory and Jess watched Luke and Lorelai leave, Jess leaned over to Rory one more time.

"So…can I walk you home?" he asked hopefully.

Rory's heart fluttered for a moment before she could respond.

"Actually, I was going to ask if you could. You know, it's getting late and it's dark. You wouldn't want me braving the streets of Stars Hollow by myself, would you?" Rory said quickly, with a glint in her eye.

Jess just smirked and shook his head in response. He found their coats, and led Rory out the door onto the snowy sidewalks. The two walked in a comfortable silence all the way to the front door of her house.

"So…earlier…you promised me…a 'later'…" Rory suggested interestedly.

"So I did" Jess responded calmly, stopping to face her.

Rory had expected a bigger reaction from him, especially considering the tension that had hung between them since last night.

"Oh. Well. Okay…"

They both just stood on the porch facing each other for a few more seconds. Rory was confused that Jess wasn't trying to stand closer to her, or even touch her. Jess, however, was thoroughly enjoying watching Rory want him to make a move. He knew he shouldn't tease her like this, and it was nearly killing him to stay away from her, but he figured it was only for a minute, and the flush in her cheeks was well worth it. Finally, Rory, very confused, reached for the doorknob to go inside.

She was stopped by Jess suddenly pulling her back to him, and he smirked, saying "Oh, is it later already?"

Rory would have been slightly indignant, or possibly amused, at his teasing, but she didn't have time decide which; she was interrupted by his lips crashing down on hers. She quickly returned his kiss, deepening it by bringing her hands to the back of his head and pulling him down to her. One of his arms around her waist pulled their bodies close together, while the other flew to her face to caress her cheek. As the hunger in their kiss increased, Rory suddenly stepped back.

"Um…this here…probably not a good place. Babette may have had a lot to drink but…"

"Right…right."

Jess nodded, but stood still, unsure of what Rory was suggesting. She wasn't helping matters by staring at his shoulder, occasionally glancing up at Babette's house.

He ventured slowly, "So, you want me to…go?"

Despite the question, his body made no motion to accompany the verbal suggestion of leaving.

"No! I don't want you to go. Come in?" Rory asked nervously.

Jess raised his eyebrows and shot Rory an amused look.

"What?"

"Oh. Nothing."

"Jess, what's so funny?"

"Funny? Nothing's funny. I just…hmm…wasn't expecting to be invited in to your empty house, which you have to yourself all week, by the way…"

"Jess! We're not seventeen anymore."

Jess steadied himself before responding a bit more seriously, "No, we're not. I'm sorry. I would love to come in. It's cold out here."

"Then come in," Rory said as she opened the door and entered, waiting for him to get inside before closing the door behind them.

Once inside, they both took their coats off, but before having his hung up, Jess was caught off guard by Rory backing him up against the wall.

"You, mister, think you're funny teasing me like that outside?"

"A little, yes."

Rory was glaring at Jess, but he could see the playfulness she was trying to hide shining in her eyes.

"Well, I don't appreciate it very much, so don't do that again!" Rory stated definitively as she leaned in to kiss him.

Jess closed his eyes, but instead of feeling Rory's lips on him, he felt her fingers sneak under his shirt, where they quickly found his most vulnerable ticklish spot.

"Ahh! Rory, no," Jess pleaded through his laughter, "That's it! No more!"

When she didn't stop, Jess bent down a bit and threw his arms around Rory's hips, quickly standing and lifting her off the ground.

"Jess! No!"

Rory was laughing and hitting him playfully on the arms and shoulders, so he hitched her up further onto his shoulder.

Jess walked towards the couch where he was planning on dumping her unceremoniously, but Paul Anka was stretched out there, not looking as if he were planning on moving any time soon. That plan foiled, Jess turned around and headed to Rory's bedroom.

"Put me down!"

"As you wish," Jess replied calmly as he tossed her onto her bed.

What he wasn't expecting was for her to immediately grab his arm and pull him down on top of her. He caught himself with his body hovering just over her. As their eyes locked, the comedy of the moment was gone, and suddenly the tension that had been there in the morning was back. They both moved at the same time to kiss again. Too frenetic to be cautious, their teeth clashed together, kisses fell randomly, and limbs tangled into knots. After a few minutes, they both relaxed a little and began to take the time to enjoy what was happening. They lost track of how much time was spent reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies: how she liked it when he nibbled on her lip, and how she could conquer him easily with a well placed kiss just below his jaw line. New to him was her hands exploring his body in a more brazen manner than she would have allowed herself three years ago. Her hand on his belt buckle however, caused him to pull away gently, and attempt to catch his breath.

"Rory…"

"What?"

"We haven't…uh…I don't think we should…" he trailed off, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Oh…" she averted her eyes from his, and began to shift away from him slightly.

He pulled her close to him so that they were almost nose to nose.

"Hey now, remember that first conversation we had?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I just…still don't want to do anything…rash. I think this…or that actually, would probably count as rash…"

Rory was still averting her eyes, so he maneuvered his head until he was able to meet her gaze.

"Remember what I said about wanting this to be different, on a different level…I still want…"

Rory smiled slightly, and interrupted him.

"No, Jess, you're right. We were right, when we said that…I just…"

"What?"

"Your belt buckle _is_ kind of annoying."

Jess couldn't help but laugh and feel a little sheepish at the same time. They both buried their heads into each other's shoulders and laughed off the situation for a few seconds. Jess was the first to pull back.

"Okay then. So where were we..." he began as he leaned down to kiss Rory's neck.

"Actually…"

"What?"

"These clothes we're wearing? Great for weddings, not so great for this. Also, it's late and it's been a really long day and we should probably go to sleep at some point…"

"Ugh. I _do_ have to help in the diner tomorrow…"

"Yeah…"

Jess began to peel himself away from Rory.

"So, I guess I should…"

"Stay," Rory said, half as a question, and half as a request.

"Stay?"

"Stay," she said, more firmly this time.

"I don't have any other clothes…"

"All of Luke's things are upstairs. He has pajamas, and I'm sure there's something you can put on in the morning until you get back to the diner."

"Okay then."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good."

"New word?"

"Go."

"I don't know where anything is, nor do I want to dig around in your mom's closets or dressers."

"Fine then, come with me."

Rory went upstairs and in short order had pajamas for Jess to wear for the night, and jeans and a T-shirt he could put on in the morning. Back downstairs, he took the clothes and turned to head to the bathroom, but Rory stopped him.

"Jess?"

"Yeah."

"Could you help me with this zipper before you go?"

Jess went back to where Rory stood with her back to him. She pulled her hair aside, and Jess couldn't help but place a kiss at the nape of her neck which sent shivers down her spine. He unhooked the dress and unzippered it slowly, letting his hand graze her back on the way down. When it was done, she looked over her shoulder just enough for him to see the color that had risen in her cheeks.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

She quickly went into her room and shut the door behind her while he stared after her for a moment.

"Well this certainly isn't going to be an _easy_ night…" he muttered to himself before shaking his head and going to get changed.

When he opened the bathroom door she was standing on the other side.

"Toothbrush."

"What?"

"There's an extra toothbrush in the cabinet there. For you. And I need mine."

Soon enough, both Rory and Jess stood next to Rory's bed, both feeling a little awkward.

"So…do you have side?"

"Uh, not really, I'll just take this one," Rory replied.

"Okay…"

Jess shut out the light and they both climbed under the covers, taking a few seconds to settle in to a comfortable position on the tiny bed. Jess was spooned behind Rory with an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and she had her feet nestled between his to help keep them warm. The slight awkwardness from earlier was gone now, and instead was replaced with a feeling of calm and warmth.

"Jess?"

"Hmm?"

"This is nice."

Jess inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her hair and the feel of her body in his arms. He cuddled up a bit closer before letting out the breath in a relaxed sigh.

"Yeah, it is."


	9. Almost Just Like the Movie

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_E.DelaMer _– Thank you so much! I was trying to walk a thin line between being romantic and being appropriate. I think tension and imagination are powerful tools when used properly.  
_gilmore15girl _– You're not the only one whose mind can turn to dirty jokes at the thought of Jess, lol. Another line I was trying to walk was covering the wedding without straying too far from the RJcentricity (Look, I made a new word), so I'm glad you liked it.  
_xh4z3L3y3sx _– Thank you! And here's more for you to enjoy…  
_evangeline b _– I'm guessing that means you really liked it, lol. Thank you!  
_inge-loves-lost _– Thank you so much!  
_just hidden _– Thank you! And here's more…  
_secondwolfmoon _– Thank you!  
_Lunatic Lorenzio _– It's very important for this story that they didn't go ahead, so I'm really glad you agree. And thank you for mentioning the parts you liked!  
_Tookie Clothespin _– Thank you! I can see it playing out in my head, so I'm glad the words transfer some of that effect to you, the reader.  
_IloveJoeL. _– 'Yay!' is right, although it was kind of fun writing the tension between them.  
_Roslynd_ – I'm glad you thought it was good. Are there particular things you see as not Rory-like? I pretty much write the characters how they exist in my head, and while I try to keep it accurate, sometimes my mental image can stray from the cannon characters, so your feedback is appreciated.

**AN: **Here's more! Sadly, I've hit that 'they've already kissed' lull where it becomes imperitive to find other sources from which to draw dramatic tension and raise the stakes. Don't worry too much, there's still plenty more important things to deal with, but in my opinion the last chapter was kind of hard to follow. The movies I mention are actually really good, and I suggest watching them if you ever get the chance, though they can be hard to come across.

* * *

(Almost) Just Like the Movie

"You _have_ to let me go in first," Rory begged as she dragged Jess down the sidewalk of an unfamiliar town somewhere in New York.

It was a beautiful day and there were many people out walking and shopping, some of whom Rory didn't seem to care about plowing over for the sake of her mission. Jess sighed and tried to ignore the curious glances the two of them were eliciting from passers-by.

"It's silly, Rory. There's no reason for it."

"And there's no reason against it, either. So…you should let me go in first."

"And then what? You can stand there and while we pretend we don't know each other. Don't be silly."

"Aww, c'mon Jess. This is the fifth place we've been to today; at all the others I've just stood by and listened. It'll be fun. And aren't you even a tiny bit curious?"

Jess avoided her eyes. He _was _curious, but the whole idea still seemed ridiculous to him.

"Hah! I can see it in your face. You're curious, and according to the address you showed me, we should be almost…here."

Rory stopped and looked up at the sign that read 'Charlie's New and Used Books'. After taking a few seconds to size up the place through the window, Rory turned back to Jess.

"Okay, now you wait out here for a few minutes, and then you can come in. After I do my thing, I'll just find a book and eavesdrop from behind some shelves or something. I'll leave whenever you leave."

Jess rolled his eyes; there was no stopping Rory when she got an idea into her head, something she had obviously inherited from her mother. Rory stopped and looked at Jess seriously for a moment.

"Does this really bother you? Because if it does…"

She was interrupted by him pulling her to him and placing a firm kiss on her lips before he gently pushed her away towards the store entrance.

"Go have your fun, if you must."

Rory's eyes lit up and she practically bounced into the store, leaving Jess to shake his head and find a wall to lean against while he waited. Inside, Rory took a moment to glance through the stacks, just like any other customer might. An employee, alerted by the chimes on the door, noticed her and began to walk over.

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss?" the clerk asked.

"Yes, actually there is. My friend recommended a book to me and I simply _have_ to find it. I've been hearing so much about it recently, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere!"

"What book might that be?"

"The Subsect, by Jess Mariano."

"The Subsect…The Subsect…Oh, yes, I remember it. A limited run book, right? I'm afraid I don't really know much about it except that we haven't moved a single copy, yet. They've just been taking up space."

Rory's heart sank. She knew that Jess already knew the book hadn't been selling in this store, that's why they were there today, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and hurt for him at the clerk's indifference.

"Oh…well, could you show me where I could find a copy?"

"Sure. Right this way…" the man began as he set off through the stacks.

Rory was surprised when the man continued walking all the way to the back of the store to an unmarked section which seemed to hold a menagerie of books from every genre.

"Here they are."

"Where?" Rory asked confused as to where the clerk was referring.

"Right here," the clerk responded while pointing to the bottom shelf.

Rory was feeling a little bit indignant by this point, but she tried not to let it show too much.

"What are they doing all the way back here, and in this section instead of with the rest of the fiction?"

"Well, there wasn't really a lot of space up there," the clerk continued, "so we had to find a place to put them. Though, I'm not really sure what it's even about. Your friend actually read it and liked it?"

"She said she enjoyed it very much, and it reminded her of Hemingway, which isn't a surprise by the way, because I've heard that one of Jess…uh…Jess Mariano's favorite authors is Hemingway. And believe you me, my friend is a picky reader, so she wouldn't just say that, and she's read a lot to compare it to."

"Oh?"

"Yes, and really, no wonder these books haven't been selling, stuck in a corner like this. I mean, if you want the book to move off the shelves, people have to know it's there in order to consider buying it."

"Well, of course that's true..."

Rory bent over and pulled one of Jess' books off the shelf.

"I mean not everyone can have the luck of having a friend recommend a good book like this to them. That's part of why people come to bookstores."

"What?" the clerk asked confusedly.

Rory flipped open the cover and the first page or two of the book to find the dedication. There it was: her name, and a declaration that without her, none of it would have been possible. Her fingers traced the ink on the page as a smile crept onto her face.

"People don't always go into a bookstore knowing what they're looking for. They rely on displays and recommendations to lead them to something worth reading. And I think this book is worth reading, so I'm a little disappointed that it's stuffed into a corner instead of at least being in a section where people who might be interested can find it."

The salesperson was a little confused by this young woman's apparent devotion to a book she claimed she hadn't even read yet.

"Would you like me to ring that copy up for you?"

"Uh…"

This wasn't exactly going as Rory had planned. She didn't really want to buy another copy because she wanted it on the shelves for someone else to buy. Before she could think any further, Rory heard the chimes on the door again and realized it must be Jess coming in.

"I'm not finished looking around."

"Oh. Well, please, find me if you need anything."

"Thank you," Rory said as she pretended to begin to peruse the shelves as the clerk walked away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Rory let out a sigh and went to return the book to its previous place on the hidden-wrong-section-shelf. As she knelt down, she felt the urge to run her fingers across the bindings of all his books, lined up in a row. Hearing muffled conversation from the front of the store, Rory lost herself for a moment in the feeling of being surrounded by books, and in particular, being near his books. When she realized she could hear voices approaching her, Rory tried to stand up quickly to get away. Instead, she found herself face to face with the same clerk, this time accompanied by Jess, who seemed amused by Rory's surprise at seeing him.

"Ah yes, she's still here," the clerk continued. "Miss, you seemed so interested in that book, I thought you would like to meet the author. He seemed surprised he would have such an avid fan here."

"It's quite a coincidence," Jess stated calmly, but Rory could see the amusement in his eyes, telling her 'I told you so. This was a silly idea!'

Rory was getting too flustered to respond properly, and she could feel her cheeks turning beet red. She shot Jess a small look and dashed back to the front of the store and out the door, leaving the chimes clanging. Fifteen minutes later, Rory was leaning against a wall a few storefronts down, sipping a coffee she had just bought. She heard the bookstore door chimes ring again as someone exited. After a quick glance around, Jess spotted Rory and walked over to join her.

"Okay, fine. It was a silly idea…" Rory began sheepishly, but Jess interrupted her.

"Actually, no it wasn't so silly," Jess admitted.

Rory shot him a questioning look.

"Well, the guy was impressed someone had heard of my book, and he felt bad about it not getting a good spot on the shelves, so we moved them to where they belonged, and there was even a customer who overheard part of both of our conversations with the clerk, and he ended up buying a copy, and he even said if he liked it he would tell _his_ friends, so…"

"So…what?"

"So…," Jess leaned in, "thank you for your silly idea."

He grinned before placing a gentle kiss on her lips, and Rory felt a little less foolish now that her idea had brought about some good results.

"So, we're done for today, and about two hours from Stars Hollow. What would you like to do?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm a little tired, and I'm supposed to go into the Stamford paper tomorrow, even though it's a Tuesday. And right now I should to get back to feed Paul Anka, not to mention he's probably not happy about being left alone all day…"

"Okay, okay, so Stars Hollow it is."

"But maybe we could do a movie night?" Rory asked giving Jess a pouting look.

"I get to pick either the movies or the food." Jess said warningly.

Rory pouted again, but Jess just stared back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine. I'm picking the movies," Rory huffed slightly.

"Wonderful." Jess teased as he took Rory's hand and pulled her off the wall she was leaning on so they could walk back to his car.

Two and half hours, two coffee stops, fourteen CD changes, and one rehashed Rand/Hemingway debate later, Rory and Jess pulled into a parking space in the center of Stars Hollow. Rory hopped out of the car first.

"You get the food, I'll get the movies, and we'll meet back at the house?"

"Sounds dandy."

"Oh! And Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should, uh…pack some pajamas or something…I mean, you've borrowed Luke's clothes two nights in a row…"

"So, I'm invited to stay the night again?"

Rory just grinned and nodded. Jess smiled back.

"See you back at the house then."

Jess entered the house without knocking, loaded down with a duffel bag and food from Luke's. He went straight to the living room where Rory was waiting on the couch.

"You brought Luke's?"

"It's free and readily available."

"Oh, I guess…"

"What movies did you get?"

Rory perked up at this question, and picked up the movies she had stacked on the coffee table.

"You ready for this?"

"I hope so…"

"We're having a Hitchcock night, but not the typical Hitchcock movies…"

"So no _Psycho_?"

"Try _Mr. & Mrs. Smith _and _Rebecca_."

"_Rebecca_ is the one with the girl who marries the rich guy, but keeps getting reminded about his dead wife, right? And something about a creepy housekeeper?"

"You got it."

"What about the other one? I've never heard of it, since clearly it's not the new one."

"Not even close. It's a classic, seriously. A 1941 screwball comedy with Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery…"

"Hitchcock directed a screwball comedy?"

"Stay with me here, Jess…"

"Sorry."

"It's about a couple that's been married a few years and they're really happy even though they fight a lot about silly stuff, and they have all kinds of rules that they agreed to follow. One morning she asks him whether, if he had the choice to marry her to make again, would he marry her? Because of their rules he has to answer truthfully. Basically, he says no, then later that day they find out that because of a technicality, they're not actually married. Hilarity ensues."

Jess was looking at Rory skeptically by this point.

"It's got great comedy and some really funny scenes. Plus, you can tell it was risqué for the time."

Jess hadn't changed his expression yet.

She pouted up at him, "Just trust me?"

He rolled his eyes and placed his bag on the floor and the food on the coffee table before flopping next to her on the couch.

"Let's get started before the food gets cold," Jess suggested, opening the bags of food.

Rory put _Rebecca_ in, and they settled onto the couch to eat their food. When they were finished eating, she snuggled herself under Jess' arm, and he leaned over quickly to kiss her temple before turning back to the television. Rory felt a smile come across her face involuntarily as she thought how perfect the last few days had been. Whereas the week before the wedding they'd both been extremely busy and had hardly spent any time with each other outside of her meals at Luke's or wedding errands, since the wedding they had been inseparable. Granted, it had only been a couple days, but Rory was really enjoying waking up to him in the morning, falling asleep with him at night, and, while she was thinking of it, doing things with him in between the getting up and the going back to sleep.

"That twist still gets me every time," Rory said as she stood up to stretch and switch the movies after _Rebecca_ ended.

Just after Rory had put the second movie in, but before they had pressed play, then the phone rang, and Rory began digging around the living room to find it. Finally pulling it from underneath a magazine on the armchair, she answered just before the machine picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey kid!"

"Mom! How are you? How is Vermont?"

"It's so much fun. You know how I was skeptical when Luke suggested a cabin in Vermont…"

"Of course…"

"But this is amazing! We have a fireplace in our room, and a Jacuzzi, and it's nice to have a cabin so we're not near other people, for their sakes," Lorelai giggled maniacally.

"I'm sure, so are there things to do there, outside of your cabin, that is?"

"Yes, but we haven't done any of them yet. In fact, we haven't really gotten out much, at all really…"

"Oh, ew, right."

"It's a honeymoon, right sweetie? How are things back home? I'm sure Paul Anka is thrilled he gets to spend so much time with you."

"Well, he was a little miffed at me this evening because I left him alone most of the day."

"Oh, where'd you go?"

"Jess and I went to check on some of the bookstores carrying his book."

Jess glanced up at the mention of his name, and Rory walked over to sit next to him on the couch.

"Aha. What are you up to tonight?"

"Jess and I are having a movie night, he brought food from Luke's and I rented _Rebecca_ and _Mr. & Mrs. Smith_, the Hitchcock movie, not Brad and Angela."

"I'd hope so!...Done anything else interesting since we've been gone? Is the house trashed yet? You never really did throw a good house trashing party when you had the place to yourself. This could be one of your last chances."

"Ha Ha. Very funny, mom. Nah, Jess and I slept in yesterday, then he went to help out at the diner and I tagged along with some things I had to read to research for an article I'm writing. You know he actually cooked dinner last night? He's no Luke, but it beat anything I could've made on my own."

Lorelai cleared her throat a little before responding.

"So you _and_ _Jess_ slept in?"

Rory realized what she had said, and blushed, especially when she heard Luke repeat the question in the background.

"Well, yeah…"

"So is there anything else you want to tell mommy? Like why you and Jess are waking up together. When did this start?" Lorelai asked trying very hard not to sound freaked out at the thought of her daughter waking up in the morning next to Jess, in her house nonetheless.

"It's not like that mom…well, it's sort of like that but not _actually_ like that…"

Rory glanced nervously over at Jess, who was now looking at her curiously.

"So then, what's it like?"

"Jess has been spending the night here with me since right after the wedding."

Rory watched Jess' eyes widen slightly before she continued.

"But, we haven't…we're not…we're fine, mom. We can talk more about it when you get home okay? You should just enjoy the rest of your week."

There was a pause before Lorelai responded.

"Okay hunny, just…you're being careful, right?"

"Yes, mom."

"Okay. I love you!"

"I love you, too, mom."

"Okay then, well…Oh, actually, is Jess there right now?"

"Yes."

"Can you put him on the phone? Luke wants to talk to him."

"Sure."

Rory handed the phone over to Jess and gestured that it was for him. He sat in silence for a few moments while Rory could just barely hear Luke's voice on the other end. When he finally started talking, Rory could only hear Jess' side of the conversation.

"Hey Luke…Yes, I'll make sure the ordering gets done tomorrow…Yes, I have…No, I'm not…No…No…No…No…Luke, seriously?...No!...Fine…No…Huh…Yeah, see you Sunday…Bye."

"What was that all about?"

Jess rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"He wasn't exactly thrilled at the news that I've been spending the night here, with you, under his roof, if you get my drift."

Rory cringed a little, but couldn't fight the little smile that was pulling at her lips.

"He just doesn't like that he can't be here to walk in on us every ten minutes. He's being protective."

"Well, maybe we should take advantage of our privacy. Give him something to worry about," Jess jokingly growled while pouncing on Rory and pinning her to the couch. Rory laughed and kissed him lightly before abruptly shoving him backwards.

"_I_ want to watch this movie, so you'll just have to behave yourself…"

She glanced slyly over at him.

"…for now."

Jess showed his resignation by pressing play on the remote, but he still pulled Rory back to him, and proceeded to run his fingers up and down her arms, around her hands, and finally along her legs.

"Would you sit still?"

"No."

"Please? You're going to miss the movie!"

"Tragedy."

"Jess!"

"Okay, okay…"

After a couple minutes, Jess leaned over and began to kiss Rory's neck and ear. She pulled away and glared at him for a second before turning back to the movie. He resumed his previous activity as soon as he could get her close enough again.

"Jess! Seriously, restrain yourself or I'm moving."

"Fine."

Jess tried to watch the movie for a little while, which he had to admit was actually pretty funny. At the line 'I'd give five bucks to see that cat take a sip of that soup.' he actually laughed out loud. Rory looked over at him and smiled.

"See, good movie."

Jess rolled his eyes and resumed tracing his fingers up and down her leg, watching for her reaction out of the corner of his eye. She swatted his hand away, but he started again right away. She jumped up suddenly, grabbed a throw blanket, wrapped herself in it, and flopped herself down in the armchair on the other side of the room.

"Rory…"

"Shhh."

"Rory…"

"Shhh!"

Jess watched the rest of the movie in silence from his seat on the couch, now a little miffed that she had rebuffed him so many times, and that she had gone as far as to sit across the room to get away from him. He was quickly reminded of how lonely it was to be in a room with her when he couldn't hold her, and it wasn't a nice feeling. When the movie ended Rory stood up and came back over to Jess. She tried to sit down next to him and snuggle under his arm, but for some reason he didn't quite understand, her moving had really irked him, so he stood up and walked into the kitchen without saying anything. Rory sat on the couch for a minute before her face grew annoyed. She stood up and stomped into her room, slamming the door behind her. Jess sighed from his seat in the kitchen. He hadn't actually intended for her to get mad at that, he had just needed a moment to himself before talking to her, and now it seemed like she was actually mad at him instead of just playfully annoyed.

"Great," he muttered to himself.

He knew he probably needed to give her some time to cool off, but he didn't actually want to leave, especially since she was angry. He walked over to her room and knocked.

"Rory?"

Nothing.

"Rory?"

Loud music was the only response he got this time. He sat back down at the kitchen table.

"You've got to come out sometime!"

He sat there for a while, wondering what he should do. He stood up and knocked on her door again. The only response was the music being turned up slightly. Jess resumed his seat at the kitchen table for several more minutes. Suddenly, his face lit up. He felt like a dork for stealing an idea from the movie, but it was just crazy enough that it might work. He stood up and loudly pushed his chair in at the table, before walking, also loudly, to the front door. Once there, he opened the front door and then shut it again noisily, but without actually going outside. He stood silently in the entryway, waiting for what might happen next. She might look out her window and realize he hadn't actually left, or she could stay in her room, without bothering to come out. Now he felt like a dork and an idiot, standing there silently in her entryway, hoping that she wasn't so angry she wouldn't bother to go after him. Then, he thought he heard her door open, and then he heard her muttering to herself.

"…think he is. Leaving like that, I mean honestly…"

Rory entered the hallway carrying her shoes and jacket and jumped back startled when she saw him standing there.

"Jess! I thought you left!"

"You were supposed to."

Rory now stood in the hallway glaring at him.

"You locked yourself in your room, and I wanted to talk to you. I thought this might get you to come out…"

There was a minute of intense silence between the two as they stood motionless. Finally, Rory's face softened a little.

"There's no lock on my door, so it's not like I could really keep you out."

"You didn't want me in there though…"

"No…"

Another minute of silence passed, this time a slightly more relaxed one.

"It's really not nice of you to make a joke like this about you leaving."

"I didn't leave."

"I thought you did."

"I didn't leave."

Rory's face softened further

"You didn't leave."

Jess' face softened too.

"And you came after me."

Jess stepped forward and then paused. Rory looked up at him and he could see her cheeks were slightly tearstained from her time in the bedroom. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"I really, really didn't want to make you cry."

"I'm sorry I overreacted."

"I'm sorry I was bothering you."

He cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to stroke her cheeks. He leaned in to kiss her gently, and then rested his forehead against hers. She started giggling.

"What?"

"I can't believe you stole an idea from the movie."

"Don't mock! It worked didn't it…"

"Aren't you glad I made you watch it?"

"If we hadn't watched it, we wouldn't have fought."

"Hmmph, don't nitpick."

"Is it time for bed yet?"

"Yes, and…"

"And, what?"

"I don't think I'll get so annoyed if you don't behave…"

Rory turned and walked back towards her room, leaving Jess to stand for a moment as her comment sunk in before he smirked and followed her.

* * *

**AN:** Reviews make the world go 'round. 


	10. Breakfast, A Dinner, and Lunch

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_evangeline b_ – Thank you. I love lit, too!  
_Cila_ – All I can say is 'wow'. Thank you so much for your wonderful review. It's really nice to hear which parts you liked, and that what I write is having the effect I want it to. Thanks again!  
_xh4z3L3y3sx_ – Thanks! I tried very, very hard to avoid a lull. I don't want to write filler chapters, not when there's good stuff just waiting to be told!  
_just hidden_ – Thank you! Here's more…  
_RogueHoney_ – Thanks!  
_Brucasforever_ – Thank you!  
_Tookie Clothespin_ – Thank you. The 'not leaving' part sort of happened organically, and I think the message really fit with the relationship I'm trying to develop between them.  
_cutebabe058_ – Thanks!  
_Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13_ – Thank you! And, seriously, Rebecca is a wonderful movie. I just wish it didn't cost about $100 on DVD (It's 'rare' and out of print.)  
_pam halliwell_ – Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's more.  
_Lunatic Lorenzio_ – Your review made me laugh, thank you!  
_Secondwolfmoon_ – Thank you so much. It feels really good to write their relationship the way I want it to be.  
_LoVeIsTrUsT_ – Here's more!  
_IloveJoeL._ – Thank you!

**AN: **Oh my, I cannot believe what a slacker I am…another chapter already? Clearly, the slacking is referring to my schoolwork and not my apparent fan fiction addiction. I'm shirking important duties to bring you this, so you'd better enjoy it! ; )

* * *

Breakfast, A Dinner, and Lunch 

Against all reason, Jess woke up early the morning after the movie night. He should be exhausted, because they had certainly not gone to sleep right away after going to bed that night. They had spent hours talking, kissing, and touching one another; only the sincere conviction on both their parts that it should not go further kept them from moving into uncharted territory. Jess sighed softly; it wasn't easy doing what was best, and his body was plotting mutiny. Giving in slightly, he ran his hand lightly across Rory's stomach, side, and hip, careful not to make any sudden movements that might wake her. He had to do something besides lay there in bed with her, or he was going to drive himself insane. A quick glance at her clock revealed it was almost time for her alarm to go off. Doing his best to move gently and quietly he slipped out of bed, eliciting a small groan from her, but not actually disturbing her sleep. He slipped on his jeans and stole into the kitchen where he started the coffee machine with a small stash of coffee grounds from Luke's which he had snuck in with last night's food. With that done, he tried as quietly as possible to begin making a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon, all the while cursing the proximity of her bedroom to the kitchen.

Rory woke slowly to the smell of coffee percolating and bacon frying, accompanied by a soft clatter of pans and dishes coming from the kitchen. She stretched and let out a big yawn before relaxing again into the comfort of her bed, letting her thoughts drift back to the previous night. After their little spat, Rory had wanted nothing more than to be in Jess' arms, and he had been more than happy to oblige. Things had started off slowly at first, and then built to hot and heavy, but both had backed off when it became clear their bodies were starting to do their thinking for them. Rory was relieved that they were both on the same page as far as what was a good idea to give into physically, but that didn't mean it was easy. Groaning at what just the thought of last night was making her feel, Rory dragged herself out of bed and to the doorway of her bedroom. She was able to open the door and stand there quietly without Jess noticing her, allowing her to admire him while he made her breakfast. There was something about watching him pad around the kitchen, his hair a wild mess, barefoot and shirtless while making her breakfast that made her want to pin him to the kitchen table and throw their self-imposed limitations directly out the window. The sigh these thoughts brought from her alerted Jess to her presence.

"You're up."

"Early. Yuck. Coffee."

"Good morning to you, too."

"Coffee."

"Don't be so pushy," Jess teased as he gestured to the slowly filling coffee pot, "It's almost ready."

Rory just raised an eyebrow at him and deftly replaced the coffee pot with a large mug. When the mug was full, she replaced the pot, all without spilling a drop.

"It was ready already, silly," she stated as she settled into a kitchen chair to enjoy her hard-earned spoils.

Jess was thoroughly amused by her antics, but just smiled, shook his head, and went back to preparing breakfast.

"Luke's?"

"What?"

"Luke's. This coffee is from Luke's. How did you get coffee from there, here in my kitchen?"

"I brought it."

"You can do that?"

"Why shouldn't I be able to do that?"

"I don't know…I just always assumed…I mean, it's _Luke's_ coffee…"

"Believe it or not, those coffee grounds will taste the same wherever youbrew them."

Rory gasped in shock.

"You mean, all these years? And now that Luke is living here, we could…I mean, here in our kitchen...Luke's coffee all the time?"

"I'm surprised your mother hasn't thought of it yet. Could you grab some plates for us?"

Rory stood and began to set the table with plates and silverware.

"Oh, well, she has this thing about Luke's, where she likes to eat Luke's food _at_ Luke's, and not here at home."

"Weird."

"Two years at Yale I've practically gone through Luke's coffee withdrawal, and the entire time I could've begged coffee grounds off of him?"

"He'd probably say no."

"Hmm, you're probably right. But now, I have you to steal them for me!"

"Oh, do you?"

"You bet. You wouldn't deny your girlfriend the elixir of life would you?"

They both paused for a moment while the realization of the word 'girlfriend' sunk in. This subject had not been discussed yet, assumed perhaps, but certainly not discussed. Jess cleared his throat softly before responding.

"I suppose that wouldn't make me a very good boyfriend, now would it?"

Rory relaxed a little at his reply, and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Although…"

She looked at Jess curiously, wondering where he was going next. The food was ready by this point, so he began serving them both while continuing the conversation.

"It doesn't feel right to call you my girlfriend when I haven't even taken you on a proper date yet."

"The wedding…"

"That doesn't really count."

"Oh…"

Jess sat down, and they both began eating their breakfast.

"I mean, that was all taken care of for me, I didn't have to pick you up, or wait for you to get ready, or think of someplace to take you…"

"I guess."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So Rory Gilmore, how about we go on a date? Dinner and maybe something else. Tonight?"

Jess was smirking and watching Rory expectantly.

"I'm supposed to work until at least six," she said regretfully.

"Then I'll pick you up at work."

"I don't want to go on a date in my work clothes."

"You'll look beautiful."

"Thank you, but not the point."

"So then, pick an outfit this morning and bring it with you, or I could even bring it for you when I pick you up."

"It's not that easy to pick an outfit for a date!"

"Isn't it?"

"Jess!"

"Rory!"

Rory shot Jess a glare, but she wasn't actually annoyed. She was actually feeling a bit giddy about the prospect of going on a date with him.

"Fine. I'll bring an outfit to change into. So, what should it be: Casual? Semi-casual? Semi-formal? Formal?"

"Ummm…"

Jess hadn't actually thought the date that far through yet, so he wasn't sure what to tell her.

"Casual? I guess…what on earth is semi-casual?"

"Ugh, men. You're impossible," Rory complained as she stood up to pour herself more coffee.

She couldn't fight the small smirk forcing its way onto her face; she was teasing him now, and it was fun to watch him squirm just a little. She walked up behind him, placed her mug down on the table, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't worry about it. I'll pick something," she said quietly in his ear.

His bare skin was just a little too much to resist, so she ran her hands up and down his arms, along his shoulders, and finally across his chest. He placed his hands on top of her arms, and for a few moments they just sat quietly in each other's embrace. Finally, she resumed her seat at the table and they finished their breakfast. He began to clean up the kitchen while she went to take a shower. He had just finished feeding Paul Anka when he heard her turn off the shower and leave the bathroom. As she made her way back into her bedroom wrapped in her towel, he caught a look at her with a good deal ofbare skin exposed. She shut the door behind her and he had to literally stop what he was doing to take a moment to collect himself. A few deep breaths later, Jess' conviction that someday, she would be his, completely, solidified even further. Nothing in the world could make him give her up, and he was going to do his damnedest not to screw this relationship up.

"Do you want me to drive you to the train station?" he called so she could hear him in the bedroom.

She stuck her head out to respond.

"You don't have too…"

"Yeah, but if I'm picking you up at work…"

"Oh, right. Okay then."

She smiled at him thinking how nice this was; waking up together in the morning and discussing their plans for the evening over a homemade breakfast. They had settled into a comfortable routine in the few days they spent together, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

"If I remember right, your train leaves at 7:57, so we'd better get moving," he hinted, and she scurried back into her room as he went to get himself ready for the day.

It was a pleasant early spring day where you could finally feel a hint of real warmth in the sunshine and the drive to the train station passed quickly in light conversation.

"Got you here with eight minutes to spare," Jess said before giving her a quick kiss goodbye.

"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later."

Rory waved as she walked past the small brick station to the platform. She had enough time to buy a ticket from the machine and soak in the early morning sunshine for a few minutes before her train arrived. She toed the yellow line of the railway platform, closed her eyes, and listened to her train approaching. As it squealed to a stop in front of her it created a strong gust of wind which brushed across her face and sent her bangs fluttering. There was something enjoyable, almost romantic, about commuting by train. She'd never mentioned it to anyone else, but she had grown to enjoy her train rides to Stamford the year before, and had been glad to start them up again. On the train, she had the opportunity to read as much as she liked or just stare out the window at the passing towns; it was a relaxing way to get where she needed to go, and it definitely beat fighting traffic on the highways.

Her day started off quickly, and she soon jumped into high gear. As the morning wore on, she noticed some people starting to act strangely, and a soft buzz swept across the the main room of the office.

"Gary, what's going on?" she stopped the new kid from the mailroom as he passed her desk.

"Huntzberger's here. You know, the family that owns the paper…"

"Mitchum," Rory barely managed to mumble out in shock.

She almost felt faint, but rallied again when something inside of her reminded her that she had nothing to fear from him; she'd wasted months of her life because of him, and she wasn't going to let him take another minute of her precious time.

"Nah, he was here yesterday, with that kid of his. I think today it's just the kid. Brushing up to take over daddy's business I'm sure. Well, I gotta go Rory, see you around."

With that, he set off, leaving Rory to once again feel a little faint.

"Logan," she murmured before quickly stepping into the nearest conference room to collect herself.

She had her eyes closed as she shut the door behind her and leaned against it for support.

"Ugh, damn it, damn it, damn it…" she muttered out loud.

"Not the language I'd expect from you, Rory."

Her eyes flew open when she realized she wasn't alone as she'd thought she'd be.

"Logan. What are you doing here?"

"Well, A…Rory, I needed a moment away from the sycophants, so I came in here to get away from them, which seems shockingly similar to the reason you came in here. Unless that is, you knew I'd be here…"

Rory shot Logan a short glare. He had his characteristic smooth smirk on his face, and to the casual observer he would seem completely unflustered and supremely confident. Rory knew better; she could see the tiniest hint of discomfort in his eyes, and she could tell by the way his hand was ever so slightly fidgeting that he was nervous.

"I meant, what are you doing _here_, at the paper, in Stamford?"

"You should know that…'Daddy says'. I have less than two months before I graduate and this type of thing becomes my permanent version of hell. This is just a warm-up. We acquired the paper almost a year ago; it's time for the yearly check-up. He and I came in yesterday, and today I'm on my own to wrap things up," Logan stated with an air of forced cheerfulness and a biting undertone of bitterness.

Rory almost felt bad for him. Part of her wanted to yell at him, to tell him that he needed to either accept his life and the privileges and expectations that went along with it, or make a change and deal with the consequences. She wanted to slap some sense into him, but she realized it wasn't her place. In her opinion, he needed a partner, someone who would help him deal with the stuff he hated in his life, and drag him through itwhen the going got tough. She couldn't be that person; she had her own life that she was trying to pull together, and frankly, during the few months she'd had of dealing with his life, she'd lost herself along the way. At one point, though, she had been willing to be that person for him, but he hadn't wanted it. The part of him that felt entitled to his bitterness, as if he'd earned the right somehow, also seemed convinced that the only way to deal with his life was to be frivolous, to drink, make trouble, and find solace in a multitude of women. He'd held off on the 'multitude of women' part when he was with her, but she felt like he hadn't really treated her much differently that the other girls he'd been with. Instead of many faces, she was just one, he'd made some effort to let her into his life, but their relationship never found deeper roots than the occasional quick thrill and constant good times.

"Uh, Rory?"

She snapped herself back to the present.

"What?"

"You've been standing there staring at me for two minutes. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking, you know, since it's been a long time since we've seen each other or even talked," Rory rambled, "I'm sorry you're still upset about your dad and going to work for the papers and all though I can't understand why, I mean, I love it here at the paper. I had to beg to get the job here, and I mean that literally, I mean I sat in that waiting room all day and harassed the boss, and I'm surprised they didn't kick me out because I really had to be persistent, to the point where I think I was verging on obnoxious…"

"Whoa, Ace, slow down, take a breath."

Rory tensed slightly.

"Don't call me Ace."

"I…I'm sorry…habit. I didn't mean to…"

"Don't apologize, just…don't?"

"Sure thing. Rory."

"Well, uh…I'm going to eat lunch now, so I guess I'll see you around."

"Wait. Rory," Logan called softly, before clearing his throat, "Where are you eating lunch?"

"I'm…uh…going downstairs to the cafeteria."

"Well, you know, I should, uh…eat something, too, and get to know what it's really like to work here…I don't want to be labeled as pretentious or anything…" He cleared his throat again a little before continuing, "Maybe, you and I could…eat together?"

"I…I don't think so, Logan."

"Aww, c'mon, why not?"

"I just…I don't know, it's too weird."

"It's just the company cafeteria. We can even sit with other people if you like. You can claim I followed you or something. You're not going to make me eat all by myself, are you?"

Rory hesitated. She was completely unsure of how she wanted to handle this. He wasn't really asking a lot. What was lunch in the cafeteria? She'd be eating there already, and it wasn't as if they'd be alone.

"Hold on a minute," she told Logan as she pulled out her phone.

She wanted to go somewhere private for this call, but the conference room was about as private as it was going to get in the news office. She took a deep breath and hit Jess' speed dial number.

"Hey Rory, we're right in the middle of a lunch rush, so I can't talk long. What's up?"

"Hey Jess…uh, there's something I wanted to…um, Logan's here."

"What? What the hell is he doing there, Rory?"

Logan was sitting in his chair observing this conversation with intense curiosity, which made Rory a little uncomfortable.

"Um, remember how his dad owns the paper? Well, he's overseeing a yearly check-up to see how things are running."

"Okay…so, why'd you call?"

"I'm going downstairs to eat lunch, and he wants to eat with me. Catch up or something."

There was a long silence between them. Jess' mind was racing. The insecure boy inside of him wanted to throw a fit and tell Rory to stay away from Logan, but the bigger part of him, the part which had promised not to do anything to screw this relationshipup, wanted him to let it go for now. She had at least let him know, right?

"Uh, Jess? You know I'm not asking permission or anything, I just didn't want you to find out from a flyer or something…"

"Uh, yeah, Rory. Thanks for letting me know, I guess."

"We're still on for tonight right? I'm really looking forward to that and I don't want to mess…"

Jess' voice softened a little and he continued reassuringly, "I wouldn't miss it for anything. I'll be there at six to pick you up. Have a good lunch, and let me know if he does anything I'll have to kill him for."

Rory chuckled and glanced over at Logan.

"Sure thing. Bye."

"Bye Rory."

Rory glanced over at Logan, who was still watching her curiously, but now with a slight hint of shock apparent in his face.

"Wow. So, you and Jess?"

"Yes, me and Jess. What about it?"

"That's a pretty tight leash he's got you on there…"

"Stop speaking, right now, before you say something you're going to regret."

Logan raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in innocence.

"I didn't realize…"

"Look, I called Jess of my own volition, as a courtesy, because when you're dating someone, it's unpleasant enough for them to find out you're spending time with an…ex…and even more unpleasant if they find out from someone else after the fact."

"Yes, that is rather unpleasant, isn't it?" Logan stated calmly staring at Rory directly.

"Yeah, I get it; I did that to you with Jess. We all get the irony of the situation. Look, I'm starving, so if we're going to do this, let's just do it, okay?"

"Lead the way," Logan said as he stood up and held the door open for Rory.

In the cafeteria, Rory was beginning to regret telling Logan it was okay for him to eat with her. Forget the unpleasantness of him being an ex, everyone in the building knew who he was, and many of them were staring at her as she sat across from him. They'd sat down at her regular table, but a hush had fallen there as soon as people realized who he was. Logan introduced himself and attempted to make light of the situation, but all that did was make people stare at Rory more. Rory racked her brain for a safe conversation topic.

"How are Honor and Josh doing?" she finally managed to ask.

"They're doing really well, the wedding is in Mid-May. Honor is having a wonderful time planning the wedding and fighting with my mother over the preparations. She's really in her element."

"That sounds like Honor."

"Yes…So, your mom? Did she ever marry, uh…?"

"Luke. Yes, they actually got married last Saturday, and they're away on their honeymoon right now."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my mom hadn't wanted to set a date while we were fighting, and once we made up, she was tired of waiting, so she planned the wedding for over spring break so I could help with the preparations and everything."

"That's nice."

"Yeah, it was beautiful. I was the maid-of-honor of course."

Logan chuckled slightly.

"What?"

"Nothing, just, best man at your grandparents' wedding, and maid-of-honor at your mother's? That's quite a track record."

Rory let out a small laugh and nodded her head in agreement.

"Well, I never claimed my family was normal."

"No, you didn't."

"How is it having a step-father?"

"Well, I haven't really been around him since the wedding because they've been in Vermont, but I imagine it'll be just like the last ten years or so of having him around, only he'll actually be living in the house with my mom."

"Interesting."

"You know my mom proposed to him?"

"Really? I didn't know that."

"I guess, after she and I had our fight and I moved into my grandparents', she was terribly upset, so she went to find him at the diner. She told him what happened and he flipped out. He had this crazy plan where they were going to kidnap me, bring me home, lock my in my room with my mom, and force me to go to classes. Mom just realized how amazing he is and how he's always been there for the both of us, through everything. She wanted the whole package, so she stopped him, mid-Luke-rant, and asked him to marry her."

"Wow. That's a great story."

"I guess. I wish it hadn't come out of my acting so stupid though."

"You weren't acting stupid, you were confused. It happens."

"I…I just really didn't like the person that I became. You get that, right?"

"What?"

"I'm strong and independent and confident, and I let that all slip away while I took the easy route out. Can you believe I wouldn't even listen to my mother?"

"Most people don't, really."

"But this is _my_ mother, the woman who has done nothing my entire life except support me, love me, and do everything in her power to do what's best for me. It took Jess coming back to snap me out of it. Seriously, he was the _last_ person I ever expected to come around offering life advice…"

Logan tried fighting the curiosity that comment piqued in him, but he gave in quickly.

"What did he say to you? I'm curious…I mean, you went outside with him for, like, two minutes, and by the time you came back in you were like a completely different person."

Rory looked at Logan for a minute, unsure of how much she should say, and how much he would understand.

"He told me I wasn't happy, he could tell just my looking at me, and basically that I was being stupid for giving up on everything I'd ever wanted and worked for. I started in on my usual defense of it being 'complicated', which was how I was justifying it to myself, but he wouldn't have it. He never did have much patience for bullshit, so he called me on mine."

Rory paused to look at Logan for a moment, he was paying attention, and it didn't seem like she had lost him yet or triggered any intense reaction, so she continued.

"Most of all, though, it was just the fact that he came back to show me how he had pulled his life together. He was working towards everything he'd ever wanted, and was succeeding, and I was planning tea parties and drinking every night."

"Hey, like I said, that's not my…"

"Stop. Logan, I'm not blaming you. By the way, that night, I really could've killed you for berating Jess like that. You didn't even know him, and you were trying pretty hard to insult him, and making a fool of yourself by the way."

"I came home to find my girlfriend hanging out with her ex-boyfriend; completely new situation for me. It's easy for me to assume the worst in people. And I didn't make that much of a fool of myself, I mean, sure, I may have been drinking a little, but I was just trying to see if he'd stand up for himself."

"Yeah, well, the Jess I knew in high school would've pummeled you after the first snide comment, but he's grown up a lot since then. And seriously, with the author thing? I don't know what you were thinking."

Logan bristled slightly, but in the back of his mind he knew he deserved this.

"What are you talking about? I was just testing him."

"A test he passed admirably, by the way. He could trounce you any day in a literary knowledge competition. Those authors you mentioned? Not only has he read all of them, but he probably has notes in the margins that would be useful for any graduate thesis being done on their work."

The tension had thickened noticeably between the two in the last minute or so. They just stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Hey. I get it; I was an idiot and a prick, happy now?"

Rory tensed again, but took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"Look, I don't want to fight. Can we just put all that crap behind us? We have six more weeks of school and the Yale Daily News together, though we've done a pretty good job of avoiding each other there until now, and who knows when else in life we'll be thrown together at one of my grandparents' parties or something, so I'd prefer if we stayed on at least civil speaking terms."

Logan reluctantly sighed, "Fine. I didn't want this to turn into a fight either."

He glanced up at the clock before continuing, "I guess I should be getting back now."

"I guess I should, too. Wouldn't want the boss to think I'm slacking."

Logan chuckled slightly at this and stood to leave.

"Bye Rory, I guess I'll see you around."

Rory waited a minute and then got up, said goodbye to the other people at her table, and made her way to a quieter spot in the hallway. There, she pulled out her cell phone and called Jess. She wasn't sure exactly why or what she wanted to say to him, but right then, she really just wanted to hear his voice.

"Hey, calling again so soon? Do I have to kill him?"

"No, he was…fine, I guess. We chatted about his sister's wedding, and then had some tense talk about other stuff. We stopped before it turned into an all out fight. I guess we decided to be on civil speaking terms now, so I don't have to worry about avoiding him at school, which will be nice."

"I guess…so, why'd you call then?"

"I, uh, just really wanted to talk to you..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being you."

Jess turned his back to the crowd at the diner to hide the color rising slightly in his cheeks. He didn't blush easily, and he wasn't about share this moment with the world.

"I'll see you tonight, then?"

Rory could hear the slight crack in his voice, so she decided to let him be for now.

"I can't wait. See you then."

"Bye Rory"

"Bye Jess."

**

* * *

AN:** Reviews make up for the fact that I'm an absolute slacker with my schoolwork, I swear. Hehe. But seriously, they are completely appreciated, so thank you all in advance. 


	11. The Best Date Ever

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_Lunatic Lorenzio_ – Yes, well, I've only let schoolwork _slightly_ delay my writing this time. Rory and Jess may not be perfect, but they are perfect for each other. More Jess goodness, coming your way…  
_Gilmore-Buffy-Fan13_ – I'm trying to move them past all of the little mistakes which doomed their relationship in the past, so I thought having her call him would be a good idea. It was also a way to inject some Jess into the latter part of the chapter; I can't have Logan taking up too much precious screen time, can I?  
_AvidTVfan_ – You bet they're together!  
_Katesque_ – Thank you so much! My version of Jess is the Jess who evolved from the season three-Jess, after pulling his life together and growing up a whole bunch. He's still a bit rough around the edges, and isn't exactly Mr. Personality with anyone but Rory, but with her, and because of her, he's decided it's time to grow up, open up, and do what it takes to keep her and make her happy. And, once you see his returns in seasons four and six, my Jess doesn't seem quite so OOC, in my opinion, because he really does start to grow up and open up in those episodes.  
_Jade-Tessier_ – Thank you so much for reviewing all of my chapters and for mentioning the things you like! I'm really glad you're enjoying it.  
_just hidden_ – I'm afraid I haven't exactly been the best little student lately, either, but at least I decided if I wasn't going to get my schoolwork done, at least I should write a chapter, right?  
_LoVeIsTrUsT_ – Thank you! I felt like bringing Logan back would bring some closure for Rory, and I don't _actually _hate Logan, I just don't think he belongs with Rory.  
_cutebabe058_ – I consider my Jess to be an ideal evolution of the old Jess, the way I want him to be, lol.  
_gilmore15girl_ – Thank you! Here's more…  
_lukeandlorealilove_ – Thank you so much!  
_Gilmoreaddict_ – Heh, if only reviews would also factor into my grades. (Can you imagine? 'Sure, my project wasn't finished on time, but look at all the wonderful things people have to say about my fanfiction writing. I think that should get taken into account.')  
_PR0TECTiNGME11_ – Thank you!  
_Swingflip_ – What a viscous (albeit enjoyable) cycle! Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it.  
_Sanfrangiantsfan_ – If Logan caused major problems for Jess and Rory, I'd have to kill him off or something, and I didn't want to have to do that, so I let them play nice, lol.  
_Mirax Corran_ – HAHA! Well, he _was_ being a prick. The first step to healing is admitting you have a problem…  
_evangeline b_ – I don't hate Logan, but he can be a bit smarmy for my taste, and he doesn't deserve Rory, that's for sure.  
_RogueHoney_ – Ah, yes, an understanding Jess. It's amazing what a little maturity can do…  
_Tookie Clothespin_ – Your wish is my command, the date is the primary focus of tonight's chapter. (as if the title didn't give that away…)  
_Chelsea71490_ – Thank you!  
_IloveJoeL._ – Thank you. Here's more…  
_Miloluver_ – Thank you so much! And now, on with the latest update!

**AN:** I'm back again! This update took a little longer because of schoolwork, but I certainly haven't abandoned you. Actually, my schoolwork is possibly in worse shape than this story right now, but I figured writing more for this was better than not doing either! I'm heading home now to eat dinner and drink sangria with my roommate and friends, while you get to enjoy this chapter. Ciao.

* * *

Best Date Ever

The clock flipped to 5:42 and the first shades of twilight were setting in as Jess pulled into a parking space in the lot next to the building where Rory was working.

"You cook her food, stay calm when she eats lunch with Logan, and are now twenty minutes early to pick her up for a date. You are so whipped," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes and listening to the last strains of "London Calling" before turning the engine off.

Admittedly, he was overcompensating for his past shortcomings by putting extra effort into treating her well now. His thoughts drifted to the night he had shown up unexpectedly at the hockey game with tickets to see the Distillers. He had returned home to find an angry message from her on the answering machine, which, though he never told her, he had listened to despite her asking him not to. She was upset that he expected her to sit around and wait for him and that he didn't call when he said he would, or at all sometimes. At the time he'd brushed it off, certain that spontaneity and resistance to succumbing to others' expectations were an unchangeable part of who he was. She had said she was used to being spoiled, but his mind, warped by years of volatile and less than meaningful relationships, convinced him that he was treating her as well as he was able. He'd always known that he didn't deserve her, but at the time part of him felt that she asked for what she got when she agreed to date him. And it didn't help that he'd had a distinct aversion to anything associated with Dean, and 'reliable' was high on the list of adjectives used to describe _that_ jerk. Three years space in time allowed him the luxury of hindsight, and he knew now that he really hadn't deserved her at the time, but that he was capable of so much more now.

Shaking himself out of his self-chastising reverie, Jess grabbed the garment bag Rory had packed in the morning and stepped out of the car. If keeping Rory meant being reliable and spoiling her a little, he was man enough now not to argue too much – she was worth it.

Jess entered the building and headed straight for the elevator, quickly pressing the button for the sixth floor before leaning back on the handrail. After just a few moments the elevator stopped at the second floor and the doors slid back to reveal a bored looking Logan reading some files. Jess tensed and couldn't help staring at Logan, but did nothing to attract his attention. The ring announced the arrival of the elevator, at which Logan absentmindedly entered and reached forward to press the button for the sixth floor. Realizing that the button was already lit, Logan glanced up to see who else was in the elevator. Recognition followed by shock registered briefly on Logan's face before he managed to compose himself.

"Jess, right?"

Jess gave only an upward nod of acknowledgment, not shifting from his position leaning on the handrail.

"I assume you're here to see Rory?"

After a moment, Jess nodded in response, but remained silent. The two men stood quietly, each sizing the other up, looking for any revelation of emotion the other might let slip. Jess wondered exactly how many charges could get pressed against him if he was provoked into punching the son of one of the most powerful newspaper men in the country while he was on the job. The thought brought a tiny smirk to Jess' face. The elevator slid to a stop on the sixth floor, the doors opened, and the low ring once again announced its arrival on the desired floor.

"After you," Logan stated politely, gesturing that Jess should exit first.

Jess stared for a moment and then broke his gaze and swiftly stepped out, glancing around quickly to get his bearings in the new environment. Logan promptly exited the elevator and began to walk away, but with a hint of hesitation in his gait. Before he got very far, he turned around to see Jess still standing by the elevators.

"Jess?"

Surprised that Logan was speaking to him again, Jess gave Logan his full attention.

Logan cleared his throat and began hesitantly, "You may think this is none of my business but…if you hurt Rory, I will find out."

Jess scoffed slightly, and shot Logan a look of disbelief.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

Logan continued more confidently, grateful for years of practice at hiding discomfort under a veneer of composure, "It's not a threat, just…don't hurt her, alright?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business."

"Why? You have plans on hurting her?" Logan retorted cockily.

"I just don't see why you care."

Logan bristled and Jess guessed he had struck a nerve.

"Look, Rory was the first girl to ever actually give a damn about me. We're not together anymore, I get that. I'm just saying…she doesn't deserve to get hurt…again."

Jess stared at Logan intensely while his mind churned, attempting to formulate an appropriate response. Who did this guy think he was? After the way he treated Rory, he now decides he's going to give protective "Don't hurt her, or else" speeches? Though, there was something Logan said which hit Jess like a punch to the gut. He had said Rory was 'the first girl to ever actually give a damn about me.' It was running through Jess' head repeatedly since hearing Logan say it, but it wasn't unfamiliar. In fact, it was the exact phrase which had run through Jess' head more times than he could count in the last three years. Did he and Logan really have something that fundamental, that unchangeable, in common with each other? He would still gladly take up an opportunity to beat the living daylights out of this guy, but at least now he thought he understood him a bit better.

"No, she doesn't," Jess finally relented before tacking on, "Look, I don't want to be late meeting her so I'm going to go now…"

In the space of a moment, their eyes locked and Jess and Logan came to an unspoken understanding. There was certainly no love lost between the two, but the childish animosity from the night at the bar was gone now. Logan broke the eye contact first, and Jess headed off into the main room of the office and took a right.

"Uh, Jess?" Logan called out unexpectedly, "Rory's desk is over there."

Logan was pointing the opposite way from where Jess had been headed. Swallowing his instinct to be annoyed at receiving any help from Logan, Jess nodded and followed Logan's directions. Logan stood for a moment, sighed heavily, and headed off in a different direction, resigned to sticking out the rest of his evening here at the office.

Jess arrived at Rory's desk while she was completely absorbed in something on her computer, so he stood behind her and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Hello there."

Rory jumped slightly but smiled as Jess placed a quick kiss on her cheek.

"You're early."

"It's 5:53."

"Meaning you're early."

"Huh. Fascinating. Ready to go?"

"Of course not. Give me fifteen minutes?"

"I've got my book, take your time. Though I we are on a schedule…we have somewhere to be before 8:30."

"8:30? How far away is it?"

"We've got a bit of a drive ahead of us, but I think it'll be worth it…"

Rory shot Jess a questioning look, but he just shrugged his shoulders and gestured that she should get back to work. He pulled up a chair and grabbed "Ham on Rye" from his back pocket. He had already read it about fifty or sixty times, so it made for easy reading that he could pick up and put down at a moment's notice. He also thought it was interesting to read the notes he had left in the margins over the years. At this point some of those notes were nearly eight years old and it was almost as fascinating to see how his thoughts on the work had developed over the years as it was to read the actual text again. He was able to peruse the book and his notes for half and hour almost uninterrupted except for when Rory picked up the garment bag and told him she would be ready to go soon. He simply nodded and continued reading while she walked off to change.

"What're you reading, anyway?" Rory asked as she came back in comfortable jeans and one of her favorite blue tops.

Jess raised the book so she could see the cover then met her gaze with a devilish glint in his eye.

"You know, Bukowski's grandmother was named Emily."

"And?"

"And she says 'I will bury all of you" over and over when the family gets together to eat…" Jess trailed off.

"And?"

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

Jess shrugged his shoulders and gave Rory a small wink, to which she rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to like my grandmother again, remember? You're not helping!" she chuckled. "Let's get out of here."

"As you wish."

Rory gathered some papers she wanted to bring home with her while Jess picked up the bag with Rory's work clothes in it. They headed out to the car and got on the road immediately.

"So, I ran into Logan earlier," Jess ventured carefully.

"You did? Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"There isn't much to say really. He got on the elevator when I was on my way up to your floor."

"Oh," Rory said a bit sadly, "Did he say anything?"

Jess glanced over and saw that Rory was clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"He was civil, I was civil. The whole thing was over with before I knew it. He even pointed me in the right direction to find your desk."

"Oh. Well, that was good, I guess."

"Yeah, I suppose. It's not like I could've punched him and gotten away with it."

"I can't even imagine how many charges you would get pressed against you..."

Jess smirked as he responded quietly, "That's the same thing I thought."

"New topic?"

"New topic."

"Where are we going and will there be food? I'm getting hungry."

"You'll see where we're going when we get there, and I guarantee there will be food."

"What kind of food."

"The kind you like."

"Way to be vague there, buddy. Alright then, if we're eating there are we doing something afterwards? Eight-thirty seems late to be eating dinner if there's more to do later. And we're heading north, is this place near Stars Hollow?"

"The eating and the activity for the night will take place at the same time, we're practically driving past Stars Hollow, but where we're going is further north on route 8, and that's as much info as you're going to get out of me."

Rory sighed her resignation and turned the topic of conversation to the article she was currently working on for the Stamford paper. An hour and forty-five minutes after leaving her work, Jess pulled onto a side road and Rory began looking around for clues as to where they were headed.

"We're in Pleasant Valley. I've never even heard of Pleasant Valley, let alone been here before."

"I'm surprised. This type of thing seems right up your and you mother's alley."

"Really? I'd have to know what type of thing this is to judge. Where are we going?"

"Look at the sign."

Rory looked out the window and her eyes lit up.

"A drive-in movie theater! We're going to a drive-in?" Rory exclaimed as she bounced excitedly in her seat.

"You bet."

Rory leaned over and threw her arms around Jess' neck, planting a kiss on his ear.

"Hey now, I'm still driving here. And there'll be plenty of time for that during the movie."

Rory's eyes widened.

"You're not going to bug me the whole movie are you? Is that your evil plan? Lock me in the car so I can't storm off to sit on the other side of the room?" Rory teased.

"Hey, you know what drive-ins are famous for…Hey, what do you think my chances are of getting away with a stretch, sneeze, grab combo?" Jess deadpanned.

"Death. Slow and painful death," Rory warned.

Jess paid for their tickets, pulled into a spot, and tuned the radio to appropriate station.

"Hungry?" he asked unnecessarily.

"Starved, of course."

"Want to come with me, or stay here?"

"Just bring back lots of food."

"I was thinking dinner type food first, and then during intermission I could go back and get snack/dessert type food."

"Intermission?"

"It's a double feature."

Rory's eyes once again lit up and she pulled Jess to her for a quick but passionate kiss.

"This is the best date ever and it's barely even started."

Jess smiled while a feeling of warmth and happiness spread over him. Making her happy felt so good he could hardly believe it had taken them this long to get it right.

Fifteen minutes later, Jess arrived back at the car laden down with cheese burgers, fries, onion rings, sodas, and coffee.

"You were right, Jess. This place does have my favorite food and we're watching movies, which is my favorite fun activity. It's like a movie night, only cooler since this screen is huge, and we're in a car, and we're surrounded by other people who are eating and watching, too," Rory rambled before stopping when she noticed the look Jess was giving her.

He was clearly amused, but there was something more to the way he was looking at her. She couldn't quite place it, but it looked familiar. He was biting his lip slightly, and though it was a cheesy metaphor, his eyes seemed to stare past her body and directly into her soul.

"What?"

"Nothing," he responded nonchalantly, turning his attention to the screen where the previews were beginning to play.

"Jess, seriously. What?"

"The movie is about to start."

"Changing the subject are we?"

"Shh, I thought there was no talking allowed on movie nights?"

Rory flounced slightly as she settled back into her seat and began unwrapping her hamburger, all the while stealing furtive glances over at Jess. He too had begun to eat, but he seemed absorbed in what was happening on screen. She decided she'd just enjoy the night for now, and bring it back up later on.

Halfway through the second movie, Rory was so stuffed with junk food she thought she'd barely be able to move. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle with Jess, which wasn't easy considering they were in the front seats of his car. For half a second her mind flashed back to the car Dean had built her and how perfect that bench seat would have been for something like this. Jess glanced over, gave an exaggerated yawn, and stretched his arm around her shoulder.

"Smooth move, Danny Zuko."

Jess ignored her, gave a fake sneeze, and pretended to attempt to grab Rory's chest. Rory playfully hit him and shoved him away.

"Sandy, don't worry about it, nobody's watching." Jess teased as he leaned in to kiss her neck mischievously.

Rory laughed. Jess was very rarely in a silly mood like this, and she wondered if it had anything to do with the way he'd been looking at her earlier. She pulled his head up so she could look him in the eyes for a moment before crashing her lips to his. The movie was quickly forgotten as they began the awkward but strangely exciting process of making out in a car in a lot filled with other people. Rory felt a rush like she used to back when the two of them would walk through town kissing, barely avoiding oncoming traffic as they crossed streets without looking. It was fun to be carefree and completely caught up in each other, even if it could only be for a little while.

About twenty minutes later, Rory was halfway on top of Jess, whose seat they had reclined, in an awkward but strangely comfortable position when they were startled by someone tapping on the driver's side window. Rory leapt up, hitting her head on the roof of the car while Jess struggled to sit straight. Once they were both more or less recovered, although Rory felt like her face was on fire, Jess rolled down his window to find a clearly uncomfortable worker carrying a flashlight.

"Uh, hi, I'm just here to ask you…um…this is a family establishment, and, uh…"

"You'd appreciate it if we keep it PG in here?"

The man cleared his throat and nodded, "Sorry to bother you. Gotta do my job, though."

"No problem. We'll be good, I promise," Jess managed to say with a straight face.

The man walked away slowly as Jess rolled his window back up. Rory and Jess looked at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.

"I can't believe we just got in trouble for making out at a drive-in movie theater. Shouldn't that happen when you're seventeen and, I don't know, wearing bobby socks or something?" Rory said sheepishly while rubbing the spot on her head which had hit the roof.

It took a few minutes for both of them to recover enough to stop laughing every time they looked at each other.

"You ready to go home?" Jess asked finally, when he realized he no longer had any idea what was going on in the movie.

Rory looked at Jess and nodded before once again bursting out laughing.

"Yeah, this is definitely the best date ever," she managed to choke out in between her laughter.

Jess rolled his eyes, shook his head, and started the engine. It was going to be a long ride home if she didn't stop laughing at him every few minutes.

When they pulled into her driveway in Stars Hollow, Rory was already nodding off in the passenger's seat. Jess stopped the car and walked around to open her door and help her up. Once she was standing, she put her arms around his neck and leaned heavily on him, looking at him through sleep-heavy eyelids.

"Best date ever," she murmured.

"I'm glad you liked it," he said softly.

He started to lead her towards the house, but she stopped him.

"Before the movies started, when you were looking at me funny, what was that about?" Rory asked slowly.

Jess hesitated. He wanted to be honest with her but he also wasn't sure that now was the best time to explain exactly what his thoughts had been while he was watching her earlier. He decided on a compromise; he would give her the gist of it, but save the actual words for later, sometime when they would be special and spontaneous.

"I was looking at you like that because I…think you're amazing, and wonderful, and beautiful, and crazy enough to make out with me at a drive-in theater…" Jess trailed off into humor at the end.

"Aha," Rory replied sleepily, "so that was it?"

"Yes, c'mon now, it's late, let's go to bed."

Jess led Rory into the house and helped her get ready for bed before getting himself ready and slipping under the covers next to her. She was already mostly asleep, but she buried herself as close to him as possible when she felt him next to her. Giving her a small squeeze, he placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder before allowing himself to relax and let sleep overcome him.

* * *

**AN:** I don't know when I'll update again, because I only have a week or so left to work on my thesis. Once that's over with, I have another week-long break though, so my guess would be during that break, if not before. Thanks for your patience! 


	12. What Happens Now?

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**Thank you to my reviewers:  
**_lukeandlorealilove _– Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
_xh4z3L3y3sx_ – Now you get to find out what Jess was thinking…  
_miloluver_ – Silly Jess is fun to write, probably because he's fun to imagine. Hehe.  
_luvablemilo _– I actually thought I'd written myself into a corner because I realized 'Crap! What are they going to do for a romantic date on a Tuesday night?' Plain old dinner didn't sound exciting enough…the drive-in was the perfect solution.  
_evangeline b _– Makes me want to sing 'Rory and Jess, sittin' in a tree…"  
_brucasforever_ – Thank you!  
_Scazydramaqueen282 _– I'm so glad you like the story. And a choice between Logan or Jess? No contest. Logan may have oodles of money, but I'd end up kicking his smarmy butt to the curb at the first signs of over-the-top gifts or expecting me to baby-sit his drunk ass.  
_RogueHoney _– If only more people at any age had heard of it… Thanks so much for your review!  
_Tookie Clothespin _– Thank you! And here's more…  
_IloveJoeL. _– Thanks. Here's the update…  
_PR0TECTiNGME11_ – I simply couldn't resist the Grease references. They were too perfect. Especially since I'd recently watched the scene where Luke is lecturing Jess about Rory and he mimicked the whole yawn and stretch scenario.  
_just hidden _– Like I said right above here, the whole drive-in, Grease, Jess combo was too perfect not to take advantage of.  
_pam halliwell _– :wink, wink: Here's the next chapter.  
_Lunatic Lorenzio _– Thanks so much! Ah yes, if only that thesis was coming along as beautifully as this story…  
_Spinaround _– Thank you!  
_Jade-Tessier _– Thanks!

**AN: **My thesis is nowhere near finished, which means I have an incomplete and I get to work on it in the spring. It's actually pretty normal for this to happen, so I'm not too worried, but it would just be nice for it to be done with! This chapter ended up with an interesting mix of fluff and angst. I'm not sure where the angst came from actually, but it seemed to flow, and who am I to deny the flow? Well, I'm the writer, of course, but that's beside the point…it's taking the story where I want it to, so stick with me and 'oh, the places you'll go'. Okay, sappy Dr. Seuss quoting over now, sorry about that. On with the story…

* * *

What Happens Now?

Rory reluctantly felt herself drifting out of her peaceful slumber. Still only half-conscious, she turned to face Jess and began placing lazy kisses on his neck and collarbone. He stirred and pulled her closer to him, but did not open his eyes. His fingertips crept underneath her shirt and brushed up and down her back and across her stomach. She reciprocated by lightly rubbing her palms across his bare chest, shoulders, and biceps. Still both clinging to the last vestiges of sleep, their movements remained languid but passionate.

"Jess," Rory whispered breathily, barely audible in the stillness of her room.

"Mmmm," Jess responded sleepily, not pausing in his caresses.

"This past week…I mean, after these past few months…" she practically hummed into his ear.

Jess waited expectantly, but when she didn't continue he nudged her neck gently with his nose in an attempt to prompt her to keep speaking. Rory hummed softly and kissed his neck again tenderly.

"I'm happy. Finally, really, absolutely happy."

Jess' arms tightened around her body, and he rolled to shift their positions so that he was on top of her, heavy enough to pin her, but supported on his arms slightly to allow her comfortable breathing room. He trailed kisses across her neck and chest before placing kisses all over her face, finally landing on her lips. Pulling back slightly, Jess blinked the sleep out of his eyes to finally look at her. They were both smiling and he leaned in to press their foreheads and noses together.

"Me too."

She pressed her lips to his, and soon their previously lazy kisses began to grow in energy and intensity. Jess heard his cell phone ring, but ignored it and let the voicemail pick up. Almost immediately after it finally quieted, it began to ring again. Jess paused, groaned, and allowed himself to collapse gently on top of Rory.

"Well, are you going to get that, or not?" she laughed.

"Whoever it is had better have a really good reason for calling me this early in the morning."

By this time, the phone had stopped ringing and the new voicemail buzz had gone off. Jess was just about to ignore it and go back to his previous activities when the phone began ringing again. Jess climbed off the bed in a huff, barely managing to avoid tripping on the slightly tangled sheets. He picked up the phone and answered it with a gruff 'hello?' Rory tried to relax and snuggle under the covers. Like Jess' recent phone conversation with Luke, Rory could only hear one side. Unlike his conversation with Luke, though, Jess did not seem amused.

"Yeah, I'm awake…but it's Wednesday… I know I've been gone a week and a half already…Damn it, Gregg, you've got to be kidding me!…I really don't want to…No, you don't seem to understand that I really don't want to…Yes…No…If you were here, you wouldn't want to either, trust me…Are you sure?...Seriously?...Fine…Fine…Fine…Huh…yeah…Fine…Bye."

By this point, Rory was staring at Jess curiously while he hung up the phone and threw it back towards his bag. He was simply staring intensely at the rug with his hands on his hips while Rory waited to hear what that conversation had been about, and why it had aggravated him so much.

"Uh, Jess? I heard you say 'fine' four times, which gives me the impression that everything is not fine. Who was that?"

It took a few moments before Jess raised his head and returned to the side of the bed where he suddenly collapsed with a defeated sigh.

"Jess, what's going on?"

"I have to leave."

"What?"

"Tom got sick, and no one's heard from Lenny in two days."

"What!"

"He's fine. He does this every once in a while. He always turns back up, and everyone pretends like it never happened. Only now that Tom is sick, and I'm not there, that leaves just Gregg and the two other guys to take care of everything."

"Oh."

"Yeah, well, I've already taken a week and a half off straight, so they seem to think I should be able to cut it short and get back there to help them."

"Well…I guess…I mean, you should go back," Rory started reluctantly. "They need your help, and, as much as I'm completely enjoying this," Rory said while gesturing between them, "I can get along without you."

"Oh, thanks," Jess retorted in mock offense.

"Shush, you know what I meant."

Her attempt at a joke was a lame cover for her internal freak-out that was quickly developing over the idea of Jess leaving so soon.

"I guess."

"What about the diner?"

"They'll be fine. I think Lane will appreciate the extra shifts anyway. And if it's too much, they'll just cut back on the hours the diner is open."

"What about the ordering? Lane was freaking out that she couldn't do it."

"I did it yesterday, so they should be fine. Besides, I kind of walked Lane through it and it doesn't freak her out quite as much anymore."

"Really?"

"Why do you seem so shocked?"

"No reason, just…you taught Lane how to do the ordering?" Rory said while giving him a sneaky smile.

"What? She's a smart girl; I don't know why she was being such a pain about it in the first place."

"Uh huh," Rory responded with a teasing look in her eyes.

"What!"

"Aww, look at you. You're so sweet now, getting all 'buddy buddy' with Lane, teaching her stuff…"

Jess rolled his eyes and tackled her back onto the bed.

"That's enough outta you for now."

After a brief kiss, Rory gave Jess a pouting look which tried to be playful, but failed miserably at hiding the disappointment in her eyes.

"So, you seriously have to leave?"

"Yes, I seriously have to leave," he sighed, "And soon too, they want me back to work this afternoon."

Rory bit her lip and tried not to look too frustrated or upset.

"Rory? You're not upset with me are you?"

Rory flashed him a quick smile and tried to sound reassuring.

"Of course I'm upset you're leaving, but I'm not upset at _you._ It's just…things have been going so well…" Rory trailed off and attempted to avoid making eye contact with Jess.

Unfortunately for Rory, Jess was still on top of her and easily managed to outmaneuver her, not letting her move until she locked eyes with him.

"Rory?" Jess asked softly.

Rory took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before she managed to say what was bothering her.

"What happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've just spent an amazing week together, and now…you're going back to Philadelphia, and soon I'm going back to Yale…and everything is going to change, and we're hardly going to be able to see each other, because I'm really busy at school, and you're really busy at work, and with all this time you've just taken off, I doubt you're going to be able to take any more time off for a while, and we're going to go back to just talking on the phone, and while I really like talking on the phone it's really just not the same as waking up next to you in the morning, and…"

Rory was forced to stop mid-rant because Jess was kissing her. She pulled back after a moment to shoot Jess a small glare.

"I was talking, you know?"

"No, you were rambling. Normal speaking doesn't use the word 'and' more than eight times in one sentence without taking a breath," Jess retorted mockingly.

"Hey, I'm trying to talk to you about something important, and you're mocking me?" Rory replied defensively.

Realizing that this was not the direction he wanted this conversation to be going in, especially when he really needed to be packing and getting on the road soon, Jess caught Rory's eyes again.

"I'm sorry," he stated frankly, "I didn't mean to mock your rambling."

After a moment of staring him down, Rory admitted "Apology accepted."

"So, you want to know what happens now that we have to go back to our separate lives?"

A small flash of worry crossed Rory's face as she nodded in agreement with the question.

"Well, is there really all that much we can do?"

Rory's face fell as Jess continued.

"You need to finish Yale. I have a life and a job in Philadelphia which I've worked hard to establish, and I like it there. You're right, I won't be able to take much time off for a while, and I fully expect you to be very busy with your school work. Even saying something definite about this summer is difficult, because I know you want to take summer classes so you'll be ready to graduate on time…"

Jess wasn't trying to be harsh, only realistic; however, he stopped when he noticed Rory was getting visibly upset by his words.

"Rory?" he said her name worriedly, hoping she would respond to him.

She pushed him off of her and climbed quickly out of the bed. Before he could stop her, Rory had marched into the kitchen. He sat on the bed for a moment, his head spinning slightly from Rory's mood swing. From what he could hear, it sounded like she was making coffee, and from the clatter of kitchen appliances and slamming of cabinet doors, he was pretty sure she was angry.

At a loss for how the morning had taken such an abrupt turn for the worse, Jess slipped on his jeans and cautiously ventured into the kitchen. Rory was sitting at the kitchen table, stonily waiting for her coffee to percolate. He picked up a few muffins out of a bag he'd brought from the diner the day before and quietly sat down at the table across from her. He gently pushed one muffin across the table towards her, but she ignored it, and him. He began to slowly pick at his muffin while mulling over exactly how to handle this situation.

"Rory?" Jess asked quietly.

Nothing.

"Don't you think we need to discuss this?" he tried asking.

"Don't you need to be getting back for work?" she asked him, too calmly for his comfort.

Now it was Jess' turn to start getting upset. After everything they'd been through over the years and how much they'd opened up to each other over the past few months, her deciding to clam up out of nowhere really bothered him. He realized that what he was feeling was similar to how he felt when she wouldn't sit next to him during the movie night; being cut off from her made him lonely like nothing else in his life ever had. He had worked so hard to get to the point where he could talk with her openly and honestly, even about painful things; he wanted to know that she was willing to put that effort in, too.

"Rory," he began with a tinge of frustration in his voice, "you can't just shut me out. It's not fair."

"You're one to talk about that," Rory spat back suddenly.

Taken aback, Jess felt his chest tighten in anger.

"Sure, Rory, bring up the past. I've been nothing but open with you for months now, but you just have to hark back to years ago. God, I was just a kid. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the one acting childish right now."

Rory's eyes flashed. She stood up suddenly and stormed into her bedroom. A minute later, she emerged carrying Jess' bag. She threw a shirt at him and tossed the bag on the floor.

"Leave."

She stood angrily with her arms folded across her chest, leaning awkwardly with most of her weight on one leg. There was a tense stand-off between the two, neither one willing to break eye contact first. Jess slowly took the shirt and put it on. He stood, crossed the kitchen, and bent down to pick up his bag. Hesitating for a few moments, he let his head hang before standing up and turning to face Rory. He squared his shoulders and looked her in the eye again.

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? This is my house, and I don't want you here anymore."

He could see tears shining I her eyes, but she was trying desperately to hold them back.

"Well that's too bad, because I'm not leaving until we talk this through and know where we stand."

Fury and hurt boiled up inside Rory, and it burst out in a frustrated growl.

"How can you do this? You come and charm me for a few days, making everything seem so great. And then 'bam', you're ready to leave, go back to your job, and your apartment, and your life, like nothing even happened?"

Jess was staring at her incredulously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Not much we can do. You stay here and go to school. I'm going back to my life, blah, blah, blah," she imitated his earlier comment mockingly.

"_That's_ what this is about?"

"What do you mean '_that's_ what this is about'? Of course 'that' is what this is about. You're leaving, and it doesn't seem like you're all that upset about leaving me behind."

A hot tear rolled down her cheek and she slapped it away angrily. Jess turned away, confusing Rory as to what he was doing. He walked over to the counter, picked up Rory's mug, and filled it with coffee. He sat down at the kitchen table and pushed the mug towards her seat while giving her a pointed look.

"Sit."

It took a minute of Rory weighing her options before she sat down and grabbed her mug of coffee. The fact that there was a mug of hot coffee there had actually been a deciding factor in her approaching Jess. She was so mixed up she didn't know what to feel or how to act, but the coffee was hot and comforting. She sat in silence, willing Jess to start the conversation.

"I'm not sure exactly how you got the idea that I was happy, or even ambivalent, about leaving you."

"But, what you said before…"

"What I said before," Jess interrupted her, "is true. You _do _have to finish Yale. I _do _have to get back to work. Your school and my work are three hours apart by train. I was being practical."

"I know those things, but you didn't have to toss them out so nonchalantly. It sounded like you didn't care."

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way. You want to know the truth?"

Rory's face softened a bit.

"Of course."

"Leaving you here is like tearing off a piece of myself and leaving it behind. It was unintended, but I guess being practical about it was my way of trying to make it less painful."

Rory's heart sank at the realization that her quick judgment of him had probably hurt him even more. Her tears were starting to escape more easily now.

"I'm sorry. I just…The idea of you leaving hurt so much; I reacted strongly when I thought you didn't feel the same way."

"I get it. I'm sorry, too."

Rory smiled a little and began to stand up so she could move closer to Jess.

"Wait," he stopped her before she moved too far. "Stay there. For now, at least. I, uh, I think we still need to talk."

Unsure of what he meant, Rory sunk back into her chair.

"Talk?"

"Yeah…we haven't really settled on anything, and I meant it before when I said I wasn't leaving until we knew where we stood."

"Oh," Rory whispered quietly. "So, where do we stand?"

Jess shifted uncomfortable in his chair.

"Rory, before we get into that…I need…I need to ask you something…or, I guess ask you to promise me something."

"I….what?"

"When you were upset earlier, you almost kicked me out."

"Oh." Rory's shoulders slumped a little as she slid down a few inches in her chair. She gripped her coffee mug a little tighter, seeking reassurance from its familiar form.

"I…I need you to promise not to shut me out. I mean, just this week you've locked yourself in your room, refused to speak to me, and tried to kick me out. I just…"

Jess took a deep breath and sighed heavily before continuing.

"…I know it's not easy, especially when you're hurt or upset – I mean, look who's talking – but, I've been trying really hard, and I need to know that you are too."

"Jess…"

Her voice was pleading and hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make everything better, but instead he sat and waited for her to continue.

"I…I'm sorry. It's a…a bad habit I guess. Sometimes I need some time to myself, to figure things out, you know?"

"I get that. Just…let me know? And don't leave me hanging?"

"I can do that."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good."

After a beat, Jess flashed Rory a sad smirk.

"Now about that other thing..."

"Where _do_ we stand?" she asked sadly.

"Beyond the practical stuff?"

"Yeah, beyond the practical stuff…"

Jess was fighting an internal battle with himself. Now? Later? Would there ever really be a perfect time? That hadn't stopped him last time. But look how well that turned out? What if he said something, and then the following conversation went badly? He wasn't sure he could take that. But, then again, it wouldn't make it any less true. Part of him wished he'd done it last night, when things were blissfully happy. Frankly, he was terrified. His only previous experiences with this had been disastrous. He mentally smacked himself upside the head for vacillating so much on something he knew should happen.

"I love you," he said quietly, glancing at her quickly to gauge her reaction.

Every part of her seemed as if it was in suspended animation, right down to the way her hand held her coffee mug halfway along the trip to her mouth, so he decided to continue while he had the chance.

"I never stopped, actually. I knew there was something absolutely unique about you the first time I laid eyes on you. I knew I loved you that night when we went for ice cream and we got in the accident. I guess I knew before the accident, but the way I felt when you got hurt just made me admit it to myself. Hell, at that point I didn't think you'd ever even speak to me again, so I left, but I loved you. The whole time…"

"Jess…"

Her voice stopped him mid-sentence, and his breath caught in his throat.

"I love you, too."

A small smile played across her face as she watched his reaction. It was hopeful, terrified, and joyful all at once. His eyes danced from her face down to his hands.

"You know you're the only…I mean, Liz sometimes, but she's…I never…" he trailed off as he looked her in the eyes again.

Rory scooted her chair closer to Jess', and took his hand in hers.

"I know," she reassured him.

"That's why leaving you sucks so much."

Rory couldn't help but laugh.

"So eloquent. I thought writers were supposed to have a way with words?" she teased gently.

Jess shot her a playfully warning glare, and they both basked in the lightness of the moment, welcome in the midst of the highly emotional morning. He tightened his fingers around her hand in a strong squeeze which brought them back to the important matter of the morning.

"But seriously, this leaves us…"

"Right back where we started? Only now we know the practical stuff and how both of us feel…not that that changes the practical stuff…" Rory sighed.

They sat in silence for a time until Jess sat up straight and cleared his throat.

"I say we continue to talk on the phone like we did before. When your semester is finished, you're more than welcome to come visit me in Philly before your summer classes start, and I can try to come and visit some weekends."

"I'm afraid I wouldn't get any schoolwork done with you there."

"Oh please, you always got your schoolwork done, despite my best efforts to distract you. I'm sure I can bring something to occupy me: a book, my notebook…"

"Ooo, are you writing something? Another book?"

"Don't get so excited, it's hardly more than random thoughts and ideas at this point…"

"I can't wait to read it when it's ready!"

"Wow, you're so far ahead of me, it's not even funny."

"Sorry, it's just exciting…"

Jess shot Rory an extremely rare shy smile.

"Thanks. That…knowing you're excited about it…it's nice."

"You're welcome."

Shaking himself back to reality, Jess continued, "But back to what I was saying earlier?"

"It's not exactly a perfect plan…"

"You have any better ideas?"

"No," Rory conceded.

"Well?"

"I think it's our best option."

"Me too," Jess said as he pulled her over so she was sitting in his lap.

Both of their heads shot up as they heard Jess' cell phone ring again.

"You've got to be kidding me," he groaned. "Why the hell didn't I just turn the thing off before going to bed last night?"

Rory stood, allowing Jess to get up and retrieve his cell phone, which he answered with another gruff 'hello'. Rory stifled a giggle when she realized how much he resembled Luke when he did that.

"No, I haven't left yet…Dude, I get it! Calm down...See you in a few hours."

Jess hung up his phone and sighed in resignation.

"I guess this means you really have to leave now?"

He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Unfortunately, yes."

They stood in a tight embrace, relishing being together. Rory finally broke the silence.

"It'll be okay. We'll be okay," she said, trying to sound confident.

He grinned, and leaned in to kiss her. It was still early, but the day had already been emotionally exhausting. He poured everything he'd been feeling since waking up that morning into that kiss: ecstasy, desire, frustration, passion, relief, hope, and love.

Rory felt that Jess' kiss was trying to communicate a myriad of emotions to her. It was slightly overwhelming and as she finally pulled back, and small "whoa" escaped from her lips.

"Yeah, whoa," Jess responded, resting their foreheads together.

After reluctantly disentangling themselves, Jess gathered his things and prepared to leave. He still had to stop by the diner to tell Lane and Caesar he was leaving, and to get some things from the apartment. Standing by her front door, they desperately avoided saying goodbye.

"You'll tell Lane I can help at the diner today until they figure out how to cover your shifts?"

"Yeah, I'll tell her to expect you in time for the lunch rush. You'll apologize to Luke and Lorelai for not being able to say goodbye before I left?"

Rory chuckled at the comment which, until recently, would've been wildly out of character for Jess.

"Sure I will. Are you going to call him?"

"I feel weird calling him on his honeymoon…"

"I guess."

"So…"

"So…"

"I'll talk to you soon, Rory."

"Yeah, safe trip home. Good luck with work."

"Thanks."

Jess dropped his bag and pulled Rory to him one more time. His arms wrapped around her waist and held her tightly against his body. He rubbed his cheek on hers and whispered in her ear.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"God, that feels good."

Rory grinned and responded happily, "Yeah, it does."

Rory quickly kissed him again before pulling away and shoving him out the door.

"Leave now, or this is only going to get harder!" she teased, fighting back the tears in her eyes.

"Fine! Bye, for now."

"Yeah, bye, for now."

Jess picked up his bags and headed outside. Rory watched him until he disappeared around the corner. She shut the door and sunk to the ground, completely overwhelmed by the morning.

* * *

**AN:** Hope you liked it! More will come soon, though the next couple days are pretty busy for me.

Reviews are like hugs, and hugs are always appreciated.


	13. Family

**Disclaimer:** These characters are so not mine. This particular scenario is though.

**AN:** An update! After all this time? Indeed, I am still alive and this story has not been long forgotten. I want to wholeheartedly thank every one of you who has reviewed this story since I last posted. In particular, those of you who encouraged me to continue, even after all this time. Each of you did have an effect. Every new review I got reminded me to work on the story a little bit more, until I finally have this new chapter written and more on the way. I'm not sure how much longer this story will go on, but you loyal readers (and I, the writer) deserve a conclusion, so I will continue until the story is done, as this little Rory and Jess story holds a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, my muse has largely moved on from the Gilmore world at this point. Perhaps I'll start posting some of the (far from complete) Firefly stories I have on my computer. (What? You haven't heard of Firefly? Shame! I highly recommend watching the DVDs, and then the movie Serenity…or you can watch the episodes when they begin re-airing on Universal HD Saturday, July 28th at 8pm…Shameless plug over…)

* * *

Family

Rory flipped channels on the TV compulsively, unable to find anything remotely interesting enough to distract her from her impatience. Giving up, she turned it off and let the living room settle in to a lonely silence.

Lonely – it was the only word to describe her days since Jess had returned to Philadelphia for work. It wasn't that Rory was truly alone; she'd gone to work in Stamford, eaten at the diner with Lane, and talked with Jess on the phone several times each day. The loneliness settled in when she was by herself in her childhood home, with no one but Paul Anka to keep her company. It was particularly acute when she climbed into bed at night and when she awoke to the stillness of the house in the morning.

She felt silly really, for letting it get to her so much. It surprised her how quickly she had accustomed herself to Jess' presence in her everyday life. Finally, she heard the sounds she'd been waiting to hear all day: voices, footsteps on the porch, and the rattle of the door handle as it was turned.

"Lucy! I'm home," her mother called in a cheery singsong.

Rory was on her feet in a heartbeat, and she rushed around the couch to meet Lorelai in an enthusiastic hug. After some tight squeezing and girlish squealing, they both pulled back to look at one another. Lorelai inspected her closely and glanced around the room quickly.

"So, no drastic changes while I was gone? You _still_ haven't thrown the house trashing party I've been begging you to have all these years?" Lorelai sighed in mock exasperation before looking over her shoulder at Luke.

"Honestly, Luke. I did the best I could while I was raising her. Gave her all the best ideas for keggers and bikers and wild raving house parties. I guess there's no telling why they turn out the way they do."

Luke looked back at Lorelai with a long suffering smile before he turned to Rory to flash a genuinely glad grin. Rory left her mother's side and welcomed him back with a strong hug.

"Hello, Rory."

"Hey, Luke. I hope everything went really well for you guys this week."

Luke leaned in and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Remind me never to take your mother to a cabin in the woods ever again. She's impossible!"

Lorelai, clearly scandalized by his accusation, quickly jumped to her own defense.

"Oh sure, he lured me there with talk of a fireplace and a Jacuzzi, but did he mention the spiders? Or the lack of cable TV? I think not."

"There were spiders?" Rory looked at Luke in horror.

"That's it," Luke chimed in quickly. "I'm taking our bags upstairs because there is no way I'm going to win this one. I bring in wood for the fire and one time there's a teensy spider on one of the logs…"

"It was like Arachnophobia, Rory, I swear! Only, Luke is better looking than Jeff Daniels," Lorelai swore solemnly.

Luke looked back and forth between the two women before giving a good natured eye roll and heading for the upstairs with the luggage. Lorelai watched him go before tossing Rory a smirk and dragging her to the couch.

"Alright, missy. You may not have thrown a house party while we were away, but you did have a boy over. And not just any boy, but _Jess. _Spill," Lorelai insisted eagerly with a hint of motherly concern.

Rory took a deep breath and met her mom's eyes.

"It was great mom, really great. He was great. Starting the night of the wedding, he stayed here every night. He cooked me breakfast every morning, took me out on a really nice date…"

"And you…" Lorelai trailed off uncertainly.

"We what?"

Lorelai huffed a little impatiently. "You spent every night together? Together, together? How together?"

"Mom!"

"I'm just… I'm sorry. I don't want to pry. I'm just a little concerned and…"

"And what?"

"And, honestly? A little freaked out. About Jess and you, staying together, staying here."

Rory felt her cheeks start to burn.

"Mom, Jess stayed here. Yes, in my bed with me, but we didn't… we haven't… we haven't slept together… yet."

"Oh," was the only response Lorelai could come up with.

"We, he and I, decided a while ago we weren't going to rush into anything, and we stuck by that."

"And staying together wasn't rushing into anything?" Lorelai asked tentatively.

Rory swallowed her initial reaction to that statement from her mother and decided that a calmer approach would undoubtedly get through to her mother better.

"Mom, being together with Jess like that… it felt so… right."

At this, Lorelai bit her lip and sat back a little, before giving Rory a look which pleaded for her to keep explaining.

"Everything about it, falling asleep together, waking up to him cooking breakfast, going about the little details of the day and just knowing that he was there… I've never felt anything like that before. And you know what? It wasn't perfect. We fought. More than once. But you know what was incredible? We made up. Neither of us stormed off… or at least stormed very far. We sat and talked things out. I love him, mom. And he loves me."

There it was. The big pronouncement of love. It was almost as scary for Lorelai as the idea had been that Rory and Jess might actually have slept together already.

"He told you he loves you?" Lorelai asked, attempting to keep her apprehension out of her voice.

"He even waited long enough this time for me to respond to him," Rory chuckled half-heartedly. "Though it _was_ right before he left…" she trailed off wryly.

Lorelai let out a short sigh she tried to mask with a supportive smile.

"Well, honey, I think it's…great…you two had a nice time together."

"Great?"

"Yes, absolutely. Great," Lorelai repeated, trying to sound convincing.

Rory shot her mom a skeptical look.

"You don't have to pretend that you think this is great. I know you don't actually think that."

Lorelai smiled guiltily. "Well, maybe not _great_ exactly. But I want it to be great. I'm totally rooting for me feeling that this is a great thing."

"Really?" Rory asked hopefully.

Once again, Lorelai felt a wave of guilt ride over her. "Well, I'm getting there. I'm almost to the rooting part. I swear."

Seeing Rory's disappointment, Lorelai turned on her best puppy dog eyes. She was relieved when Rory cracked a small smile.

"I'm trying sweetie, I really am. It's just that my mother bear instinct kicks in and makes me want to chase away anyone who could hurt you. And, until recently, Jess was definitely in the category of people who could hurt you."

"Mom, for the last time, Jess hasn't been that guy for a long time."

Lorelai raised her hands in mock surrender. "I know. I know. Old habits die hard okay?"

Rory nodded reluctantly.

"Just promise me one thing Rory?"

Rory looked at her mom expectantly.

"Be careful."

"Mom! Haven't we already..."

"No! Rory, this is…not about that. And it's different now. Things are different."

Lorelai to a moment to glance up the stairs that Luke had disappeared up before continuing.

"Jess is family now. Luke is – officially – family now. If things go sour between you and Jess… that doesn't change. I need for you to seriously consider that. I mean, have you guys talked about that at all?"

Rory shifted uncomfortably as she responded, "Not really. We did agree to strike the word 'cousins' from our conversations though…too weird. Besides, who's assuming things are going to go badly?"

Lorelai fought back against the blanching which threatened to give away to Rory exactly how scary things going right could be also. She also heard Luke's footsteps at the top of the stairs and decided this conversation probably needed to end, and soon.

"I'm not suggesting things will go badly. I'm just suggesting that you guys should have a talk about the fact that you are family now…as weird as it might be."

Seeing Rory nod reluctantly, Lorelai decided the mood had gotten entirely too serious, especially considering that she was still riding on a high from being on her honeymoon. She wasn't ready to let go of that yet. Putting on her brightest smile to flash to her daughter and her new husband, she cleared her throat pointedly.

Seeing she got both of their attentions, she suggested enthusiastically, "So, who's up for the first official Gilmore-Danes family movie night?"

Rory woke from her sleep to the sounds and smells of breakfast being made in the kitchen. Drowsily, she opened her door and poked her head out to see Luke casually flipping pancakes on the electric griddle he and Lorelai had received as a wedding present. He looked surprised to see her emerging from her room.

"Morning, Rory. Did I wake you?"

"Mmm, you have food, and coffee!" Rory noticed excitedly. "You're allowed to wake me if you have coffee."

Luke gave her a smile and a nod and went back concentrating on the pancakes and the bacon he was frying on the stove. Rory poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the kitchen table. She really liked having these Danes men around the house to cook for her. It would be so sad when she went back to school and had to fend for herself. She sipped gratefully at her coffee while she watched Luke busily cooking and it struck her suddenly that this morning was different than any other time Luke or Jess had cooked for her.

This morning was different because Luke lived here now, and not just as her mom's boyfriend, but as her _husband_. The man cooking her breakfast this morning wasn't just Luke, he was her step-father. The thought suddenly made her feel giddy inside, even though she wasn't quite sure why. Luke had been around forever, cooking for them and being around their house. He'd even officially moved in a while ago now, and Rory hardly even lived in this house anymore. But this morning, this very special morning, she got to wake up to her step-father making breakfast. Then, her mom would come downstairs and the three of them would eat together, and the fact that her family was no longer just she and her mother would be okay, because the three of them together was _right_, just as right at it had felt when it was just she and Jess.

She smiled into her last sip from her coffee mug and then stood up to refill it. Before she could finish doing that though, she found herself drawn to join Luke where he was cooking. Noticing her proximity, Luke turned to her and was caught up in a sudden hug around his waist.

"What's this all about, Rory," he asked gently.

Rory allowed herself a moment to rest her head against his chest before answering.

"Because you're here, cooking my mom and me breakfast, and you're family now. My step-dad is making me breakfast. It has a nice ring to it."

Luke was glad Rory couldn't see his face just then, touched as he was by what she just said. So he gently patted her back in a return hug for a few seconds before pulling back.

"Cooking my step-daughter breakfast," he mused. "That does have a nice ring to it."

Sharing one last smile, Luke went back to cooking, and Rory moved to pour herself another cup of coffee. Perhaps talking to Jess about this 'family' business wouldn't be so bad, she considered. After all, this felt so right, and he felt so right. As she took the first sip of her fresh cup of coffee, she savored how good it felt to have so many things going right in her life once again. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep things going right this time...even if it meant discussing with Jess the previously shunned fact that they were officially cous…well, _family_ now.


End file.
